Ana in the Land of Hearts
by Nuggs
Summary: Alice's daughter, Anastasia, finds the hole in which she fell many years ago that leads to Wonderland. Ana ends up in a completely different realm, with a twist- every male character is in love with her, and each one has a different way of showing her. Love rivalries, romance, and drama included. *****Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Every morning I'd take a trip to that huge dirt hole in our backyard's garden. When I looked down, I'd see nothing but darkness. I'd always test the depth of the hole by dropping a rock or other small things into it, and listening carefully for that _THUD!_ that occurs when it lands. Every morning… I'd hear nothing.

My mother would never tell me what's down there, so I felt like she was hiding something from me. "Mom, please tell me! I'm sixteen; I'm old enough to understand whatever it is!" I pleaded one morning, desperate for answers. It was my birthday.

Instead of answering me directly, Mom changed the subject. "Ana, how many people are we inviting to your party this Saturday? I think it was around twenty-five of your friends? Tell me if I'm wrong, I need to get the plans in order." She stated, searching the office room for a pen.

I rolled my eyes, picking up the pen that my mother had dropped earlier. "I want to know about that hole. It's two feet wide, yet you and Dad never got rid of it! You must be hiding something. You know I hate liars." I snapped, throwing the pen at the desk. It was a bit too brutal, but I was pretty frustrated. Washed with curiosity that has been building up ever since I found that hole seven years ago.

Mom glared at me, waving me away dismissively. "Ana, leave. I have work to do."

"But, Mom! It's my birthday, at least you could-"

"Anastasia Liddell! It's a hole, not a treasure chest." She barked, pointing at the door. "Leave,"

It was silent, and I stormed out the office, slamming the door to keep my pride. She can't make me sound like a fool. I knew there was something weird about the thing in the back yard, but I don't know what. It could be a rabbit hole, but it was so large that I couldn't imagine a rabbit big enough build such a big home. I bumped into Aunt Edith and Aunt Lorina.

"Happy birthday again, Ana!" My aunt exclaimed, the two of them enveloping me into another hug for the day. Aunt Edith pointed at the office door. "Is Alice in there, Sweetie?"

I nodded slowly, and then watched them enter the office happily. Screw what my mother said; I don't need her to tell me what that hole is all about. I'll figure it out myself. After tugging on something decent to wear outside, my purple sundress, I left my house using the back door, strolling into the yard. The hole couldn't be seen from the porch, you needed to actually maneuver through our rose bushes. Behind the fifth rose-bush was the hole. I leaned my head in, looking around. The oddest thing about this hole is that even when the sun can completely shine on it, the sunlight seems to avoid this very spot. Nothing blocked it. I bit my lip as I dropped a pebble into the hole, silently waiting to hear something. This experiment, as usual, ended with the same quietness.

I held the largest stick I could find in the yard, and lowered it slowly downward. The only thing it touched were the walls of the circular hole, nothing new. Looks like I had to check out the hole more directly.

"Anastasia!" I heard my mother holler from the porch. She most likely could see my butt sticking up in the air. "Ana! Get away from that hole!" she shrieked.

My right hand reached down, feeling the edges of the hole, and going as deep as it could. And that's when it happened. I reached so far, that my body tipped in my arms direction. I lost my balance, and fell head first. I screamed for a second, then stopped when I heard another voice. Aunt Edith.

"Alice! You need to go down that hole to find her!" Aunt Edith yelled, panicking as much as my mother, it seemed like.

"I can't!" My mother cried, "Each person enters their own different dimension when they reach the bottom!"

And that was when I continued my screaming, because I couldn't see the opening of the hole anymore. I was covered in darkness. Nothing was visible, so I braced myself for the impact of the ground. So far, it seemed like I could hit the bottom any second, but I just kept falling.

And falling.

And falling some more.

And when I hit the ground, I almost started rejoicing. Who knew that after ten minutes of plunging into darkness would become boring? The impact of the hit didn't really hurt as much as I expected- I was more shocked than anything. No wonder I couldn't hear anything when I dropped things down here! I glanced around the room, the lighting was extremely dim, and so it was very difficult to see anything. My eyes squinted at something. There was some light seeping through the cracks of the walls. I walked toward it, because I really needed to see and check out what's down here. I patted the crack, and the texture was rocky. My hands slid down the rough wall till I felt something smooth. I grabbed it.

A door knob?

I turned it and pushed forward, and the door didn't budge- so I pulled instead and it opened. I felt my mouth open wide in awe when I saw the other side. The sky was blue, like a perfect shade of blue. There was not a single cloud in the sky, and neither was the sun. I could see rows and rows of flowers, bundled together by color. They were in a weird pattern, and as my eyes gazed carefully over the flowers. They seemed to be spelling something.

ANASTASIA

I tilted my head at it, completely confused. It was very difficult to read considering the flowers were shaped in a very odd font. I shrugged it off and walked past the odd welcoming of the flowers. As soon as that happen the sky faded into black. My eyes widened and I took a step back, and it was sky blue again. Weird. I walked past the flowers once more and the sky turned to darkness again, but I could still see pretty okay.

I continued my little adventure, avoiding trees and pesky branches that seem to appear everywhere. When I reached a particularly humongous tree, I gaped at it. "Wow," I breathed, kicking the tree with my foot. "Sturdy," he commented, nodding. Nature always interested me.

"Who gave you permission to touch my house?" I heard a voice ask. It was definitely male, smooth.

I blinked and looked up toward the voice. There was a guy standing on one of the thicker branches. He was lean, slim, and one hand was on his hip. He had a black spiky collar around his neck, and there was something bushy coming out of his bottom. Was that a tail? Weird. I squinted to distinguish the colors of the fur. Purple and black- a bruised shade of those two colors. I looked up at his head. He was on the mysterious, handsome side. His eyes were a shocking yellow color, but it suited him nicely, with wide, slit-like pupils. I studied his hair, floppy. A very dark purple. Then, something made me stifle a laugh.

"You have kitty ears!" I blurted, pointing at the top of his head. I blushed, not expecting that to actually come out of my mouth.

The dude leaped off the tree, landing steadily on his feet. He smoothed his hair back and leaned close to me, patting my head. "Yes, I also have a fluffy tail." He snickered, gesturing toward his striped tail.

I stared at it, trying to take this all in. It looked so real, but it seems impossible. He looked like any other human being, except he had an authentic tail and big cat ears on his head. I giggled, my hand reaching subconsciously to touch those ears. I absolutely adored cats, so his ears were mighty intriguing.

Before I was an inch away from his head, the guy grabbed my wrist and stared at me, an eyebrow rising suspiciously. "Staring at me?" he purred, gently turning me away from him.

"U-uh…" I blushed, scratching my head. "I'm Anastasia Liddell," I reached my hand out.

He poked my hand. "I'm aware. So, you're finally here," the guy nodded thoughtfully. "It's about time you showed up. We've been waiting, Ana."

I blinked a few times. What? "We? Who's _we_?" I wondered. Did I hear that right? "You were expecting me?"

The cat-dude gave me a grin- a huge, wide grin. His teeth were slightly pointed. "You'll find out sooner or later," This guy is so mysterious. "I'm Cheshire Cat."

"Is that your name?" I asked, completely lost at this point.

He leaned against the tree, shrugging. "Sure," he answered coolly.

I groaned and shook my head. "Whatever. How am I supposed to get out of here, Cheshire Cat?"

"Oh, that way," Cheshire Cat blurted, pointing towards the welcome flowers. "Wait, it could be this way," he corrected, pointing beyond his tree home. "Eh, maybe it was over there?" he pondered, gesturing towards the sky.

This is getting weirder and weirder by the minute. A ten minute fall to the bottom of a hole. A flower welcoming committee. And now, a misguided cat dude named Cheshire Cat. What kind of name is that?

"You can just call me Shire, Ana," he mentioned, interrupting my thoughts.

"Well, Shire, I'd appreciate it if you actually steer me in an actual direction. Please." I begged, resting a hand on my hip.

Shire leaped onto his tree, sitting down on the thick branch. His legs dangled happily, leaning against the bark. "There are so many paths that will lead you to the same place," he explained nonchalantly. "You'll get to your destination eventually, Ana. No worries," he shrugged, his tail dangling off the branch.

Finally giving up, I began to walk in a random direction, beyond his little tree. As I brushed past his tail, he leaned down and kissed my cheek. Shocked, I turned my head and gasped. "You-"

"When you meet the other guys, tell me what you think." Shire requested, going back to his original position on the tree. He smirked when I blushed and gave him a confused look.

"What? What was that all about?!" I squeaked, wiping my cheek.

He chuckled, resting his hands on his stomach. "Oh, Ana. I guess you haven't heard? In this realm, every male character is in love with you."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I never managed to ditch the cat guy… considering everywhere I turned I ended up back at that same stupid tree. He would just smile at me and offer to follow, and I'd reject it each time. Well, I thought I could do this by myself!

And, eventually, I did! I believe I walked a good mile when I came across a gorgeous dome with huge decorative flowers of all colors covering it. I let a sigh of awe escape as I sniffed a nice yellow one.

"Who are you?" A deep voice echoed from above.

I felt myself stumble back onto the ground, frightened. I peered around and saw no one. "W-who is this?" I asked.

"I asked you first," the voice replied, coming closer. "Well? _Who_ are you?" it asked.

I was about to answer when suddenly, I saw the approaching figure. It was definitely a male with long brown hair and black piercing eyes. He wore a modest, dark green sweater and khakis. How earthy. He had a pipe in his hand, which told me that he smokes. That turned me off immediately. He gave me a sneer, like he was irritated by my presence. How rude!

"You!" he barked, shaking his head furiously. "Who are you?!"

My throat felt dry. He was totally pressuring me. Why was I getting so flustered over nothing? I looked down at my flats. "I-I'm Anastasia."

The guy frowned, shaking his head. He inhaled his pipe and blew the smoke in my face. It was a terrible scent. "You are." He replied.

I rolled my eyes. "Liddell," I informed him. "I am Anastasia Liddell."

"Better," he said with an approving nod. For some reason, I felt more relaxed that he was tolerating me. "Absolem,"

Absolem? What? I blinked, confused. "Is… Is that your name?" I smiled when he nodded. "It's a lovely name. Very unique."

"Would you name your son that?" Absolem asked, raising an eyebrow.

I turned red, shaking my hair. "W-well…not really…"

The boy shrugged and hopped off the dome and landed next to me. He tapped his pipe. "Are you trying to get inside?" he waited a moment. "Because the door is on the top of this dome."

"Well, what's inside?" I asked, very curious at this point.

"Yourself," Absolem replied with a nod. He pointed to the flower he was previously clinging to. "This will get you up. Like a ladder."

There was something odd about this boy. Sure, he was good looking, but his responses to everything were so blunt. And his expression? Unreadable. All I did was nod and begin climbing the flower stems. He followed behind me. When we got to the top of the dome, I stood there a bit scared. We were up pretty high, but he didn't seem to mind. I watched as he unscrewed the trap door of them dome. I fell to my knees and peered down the frame. Great, another hole, I thought.

"Go," he ordered. And I felt something shove me forward and into the dome.

And I landed on my bottom. As I looked up to see if he were coming down too, the hole was covered. He ditched me! Then again, he never promised he would come with me anyways. I squinted when the lights randomly came on, and when I peered around, I saw my reflection. Everywhere.

Wow, that brat was right when he said I'd be there… Cause I'm all over this dome! I grinned, looking at myself. Well, my blond curly hair was a bit tangled from all the running and sweating. It only reached my shoulders, but I've been hoping it'd get to my mid back. My blue eyes smiled back at me. I never thought I was unattractive, but I always assumed I could do better.

"What a nice figure, darling," I heard a male voice coo from behind me.

I turned and faced him. How come I didn't seem him coming? His reflection didn't appear in the mirror! How strange. "Oh, thank you."

When I got a good look at him… I blushed. Badly. He was gorgeous! His sleek black hair was styled that suited his face. He had black bangs that framed the left side of his face, but not the right. His eyes were a bold green- it looked fantastic with his dark hair. He was perfect! And, he was holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand. "You have such a slim, figure. It's perfect." He said as he handed me the flowers. "You must be my Anastasia Liddell."

I sniffed the flowers and gave a satisfied moan. "That's me." I squeaked, putting the flowers on a table by a mirror. "And you?"

"Aster Sage," the young man said. He winked at me. All the petite ladies lined behind him sneered at me. I felt a strange jealous feeling wash over me. What was he doing? My negative thoughts were interrupted when I noticed the tiger lily attached to his fancy, fashionable coat. I prayed he wasn't gay.

The women who stood beyond him were all slim and pretty. And dainty. They all had matching dresses on. Each dress was white with a different kind of flower patterning on it. The one with violets all over her dress stepped over to Aster and glared at me. "I haven't seen anything stupider in my _life_,"

Aster frowned and hit her on the shoulder. "That's because she looks different from all of you," he snapped. "The most beautiful girl has fallen into our humble dome and you can't even tell that she's brilliant." He scoffed, waving her away. "You're obviously the stupid one. Right, girls?"

All the ladies in matching dresses nodded quickly, murmuring agreements. I assumed they really admired him like their boss- always seeking approval.

"Come, Ana," he summoned as he pushed past the group of girls. I followed him shyly, but on the inside I was so elated that he thought I was special. At least, more special than the flower girls. Hah.

We walked into a separate room filled with mannequins. "You have the perfect face and body for this dress I created," he explained as he searched the closet.

I sat down on a comfy, rose-patterned chair. "What a coincidence,"

Aster took out a mannequin dressed in a beautiful blue dress. It was a bit short, and seemed to have the material that hugs your waist, but not your legs. The outfit had white lace on the collar and waist line. He slipped it off the mannequin and rested it on my lap. "It's not a coincidence," he chuckled, squeezing my knee. "I've made it especially for your arrival! It is simply convenient that you will suit it so well."

So, apparently, I had to put on that dress in front of him. He explained to me that I should have pride in my body, and that his models must change in front of him all the time. And to be honest, I don't think this was just a game so he could stare at women. I believed he truly had a love of fashion and clothing. I could tell by his stance and the way he even dressed himself. Amazing, really. I slipped off the straps of my dress over my shoulders and threw the new dress on. After taking off the rest of my original outfit, I neatened up the blue dress. It went to my mid-thigh. Not a modest length, but not too revealing either.

The guy gently pushed me in to the main mirror room of the dome (the room I fell into), and waved his arm. I gasped at my reflection. The dress? Unquestionably stunning. It was the perfect size and squeezed my waist comfortably. My curves were actually visible. "You're a genius," I sighed as I twirled around a bit.

"When it comes to fashion and romance, I'll never let you down, my darling." He breathed, pushing a stray hair behind my ear.

The lady in the pansy dress cleared her throat. "Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Aster, but don't you have an appointment with the Queen to complete her dress?" I wanted to choke her. She didn't even sound sorry.

"That woman?" Aster said, his tone disgusted. He smiled kindly, facing me. "Darling, you see, I've been making a dress to suit the Red Queen." He sighed and put his hand to his brow. "But she is just so plump; I needed a ton of material just start with."

I stifled a laugh. "I'm so sorry," I said, patting his shoulder.

Pansy Girl rolled her eyes. "No you're not," she muttered.

"Pansy!" Aster barked, pointing at the girl who was just rude to me. I suppose all the girls' names were based on the flower on their dress. "Shut your mouth and go get my supplies."

The lady bowed and scurried off into another room. All of the women in the room stiffened from the mood change, including me.

"By the way," Aster tipped my chin up so we could make eye contact. I felt my cheeks flushing. "Since I have so many associates in this room that work for me, I get their names mixed up. So, they're name is whatever flower is on their uniform. I got exhausted from their original ridiculous names." He sighed. "Plus, who doesn't adore flowers?"

I grinned. I took note of how he and I had that love of nature's perfume: flowers.

Once Pansy came into the room with a large suitcase, Aster gave me a nod. "Well, my flowers and I must be going now."

I frowned. "All of them are going?" I asked, genuinely puzzled. There were tons of them, each one with a different flower dress on. It was amazing.

Aster shook his head, "Definitely not. You have the honor to choose five of my flowers to accompany me."

At that point, all of his 'flowers' straightened their dresses and tried giving me sweet smiles. Violet and Pansy's smiles seemed to be painful. I held back laughter as I strolled past them. "Who should I choose?" I sang quietly, loving this position. I pointed to each girl as I called their name. "Lilac, Thistle, Daisy, White Rose…" I trailed off and tilted my head at Pansy. "And Pansy," I said this, hoping that we could maybe have a positive relationship if I gave her this great opportunity to work alongside with the stunning Aster Sage.

With my luck, Pansy just stuck her nose in the air as she walked by. What a diva. Aster gave me a soft smiled, walking to a door. He took note of my confused expression. I know this because he said: "This door only opens from the inside, my darling."

I nodded slowly, watching him and his little crew of ladies exit. Before the door closed, I quickly asked a question that has been bubbling inside my head. "How old are you?"

Aster poked his head out the door quickly and smiled. "I'm whatever age you want me to be."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ten minutes after Aster Sage exited, I was escorted by a couple of the flower girls out the door. I was trying to tell them that I wanted to get my dress back from the dressing room I was in earlier, but the girls didn't seem to actually pay attention to my words. I assumed they were jealous.

I strolled along the path for a while, but my walk came to a stop when I spotted that snooty guy from earlier. "Absolem!" I called, reaching my hand out to pull his shoulder.

As if he sensed my hand coming, without turning around, he slapped it away. "Ana," he stated, facing my direction now. At least he was polite enough to look at me when I'm talking to him. Then again, I didn't really like it- his expression was as if I was a bother, that he was only tolerating my existence, and a hint of disgust.

I sighed and crossed my arms. Even though he was a jerk, he seemed intelligent. So, after a few moments of silence, I finally spoke up. "Do you know Shire?"

Absolem tapped his pipe against his khakis, and then raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Listen, Absolem. I fell down a mile-deep hole, got mixed signals from a cat-dude who won't tell me how the heck I can get out of here, walked in circles through some stupid forest, and got shoved into the dome by yours truly, and am currently hated by at least thirty women I barely know." Anger bubbled up inside. "I'm really not in the mood to play this WHO game!" I shrieked, stepping towards him. My finger wagged two inches in front of his face threateningly. "Now, I'm going to ask you this again. Do you know Shire, the brooding tall guy with a fluffy tail and adorable kitty ears?!"

The boy placed a hand on his hip, smoking in the pipe. After what seemed to be a long pause, he exhaled and then leaned towards me, a sneer on his face. "Why wouldn't I? He's hard to miss."

My eyes lit up as soon as he finished up his answer. "Excellent! So, did he ever tell you about a curse?" I bit my lower lip desperately as I waited for his answer. When Absolem nodded, I was encouraged to keep going. "Is it true?"

"Shire is a sneaky one," he said thoughtfully, his face softening by just the slightest amount. He let out a long, brutal sigh and flicked me in the forhead. "It is true."

"But you're so mean," I whined, rubbing my head. "How could you possibly be in love with me?"

Absolem chuckled, shaking his head slowly. "Just because I don't make it easy for you, doesn't mean I dislike you." He scoffed, beginning to walk away.

"Fine, then, I'm sure all your friends are just as rude." I rolled my eyes and decided to walk in the exact opposite direction of him- just to make a statement. Sure, I could have come up with a better retort than that, but I was too preoccupied with trying to storm off…

And having the last word.

As I ventured onward, I noticed a little wooden gate that had a mail box next to it. When I squinted at the green box, I tried to read the name- but the handwriting was too sloppy to be legible. I knew the first letter was an 'M' and the first letter of the second word was an 'H'. There was no use in knocking, so I strolled through the gate and closed it securely- to be polite. "Hello?" I called out, following the little dirt path that apparently separated into two more paths. The one on the left had a sign that said 'T', while the one on the right said 'G'. Weird. I took the T path and, soon enough, came across a huge, long table. It had all sorts of yummy desserts and beverages. Well, the only beverage that seemed to be available was tea. I brushed my hand along the set up and smiled, realizing how hungry I actually was. T for Table, I assumed. Since there was so much food out, I figured it wouldn't make much of a difference. So, I leaned over to the center of the table, which had a generous platter of cookies, and took a chocolate chip one.

Then, I heard footsteps coming from behind. I jumped and dropped the cookie on the plate, then took a good couple steps away from the table.

"Oh! You're here for tea, too?" a voice cooed. Before it waited for me to even respond, I felt two fingers jab me in the waist.

I squealed and stepped away, squirming around uncomfortably. "I'm so sorry! It's just that-"

"Don't apologize, pretty lady," the same voice said, coming closer.

I turned around and raised my eyebrows. It was a boy. He looked about sixteen, and he had a bit, cheesy grin on his face. He was kind of on the short side, about the same height as me, actually. His eyes were a pale black, and he wore a green hat on his head. It seemed a bit on the large side, but I didn't say anything. Overall, he was pretty adorable.

He turned a faint pink when he saw my face. "Wow!" he sighed, circling around me. "I was just checking out my garden, and when I come here for some tea, I get you instead!" he cheered with delight. "You must join me,"

Even though his voice was not demanding at all, I felt like I had no choice. The teen lead me to the end of the table and sat me down next to him, while he got the seat at the very end. He respectfully took off his hat, and then reached inside. I had a puzzled look on my face as he pulled out two tea cups from the hat.

As he tucked his dark green hat on the corner of his chair, he gazed at me with a lazy smile. "You like tea, right?" He gasped and shook his head, not waiting for me to answer. "What am I saying? Everyone loves tea!"

I nodded slowly as I watched him pour a surplus amount of tea into the little cup. Too much, actually, because the brown liquid was overflowing the cup. He whipped the small amount that fell onto the table with his sleeve, and then plopped three sugar cubes in each cup. "I don't know how much sugar you would like in your drink, but I prefer three cubes."

I remained quiet as he set the cups on their own individual saucer. The boy carefully pushed my tea set over to me, and then grinned down at it. After we both took a sip, I looked over at him and blushed just the slightest. "My name is Anastasia Liddell."

Unexpectedly, Tea Boy started cracking up and laughing like it was his last. Like I cracked the funniest joke in the world. Like I'm actually a funny person. Like my name was funny.

I frowned, annoyed. Maybe I was overthinking the situation, but he was starting to look like a jerk. "Hey! My name is not funny!"

He stopped laughing, letting a chuckle out. "I know, it's not! I'm not laughing cause it's funny!" he said, as if it were obvious, "I'm laughing cause I'm overjoyed!" He took a moment to catch his breath. "My name is Tarrant Hightopp. This is my Banquet Table, and opposite of here is my garden!"

I nodded, smiling at him. Honestly, I was just relieved he wasn't a jerk. "Good to know," I giggled, taking another sip of the tea. It was too sweet, but I had to deal with it.

Tarrant gulped the rest of his tea down in one gulp, then reached for my cup and filled it up again. "So, how is Wonderland? Do you like it?" he asked enthusiastically, taking a scone and biting it.

"Pardon me?" I asked politely, genuinely confused. "Wonderland? Is that an amusement park?"

I could tell Tarrant was trying to hold back laughter. "Wonderland is not an amusement park!" he replied, shaking his head violently. "It's the country we're in right now, Ana!"

"Oh, I see," I nodded. "It's lovely, it really is. Very interesting." I was actually telling the truth. "Met a lot of…unique people. And not just people, I met a talking cat guy too."

"The Cheshire Cat? Oh! He's a sneaky one!" Tarrant cooed, waving his fingers up and down. "Shire is definitely hard to befriend. He's everywhere and nowhere at the same time!"

"What do you mean?"

"He can become invisible in the blink of an eye, Ana! It's truly a sight to see." He said with a nod.

I heard a yawn coming from the gate. When I turned to see who was making that noise, Tarrant gasped and stood up.

"Demetrix!" Tarrant exclaimed as he strolled to the gate.

Demetrix, assuming that was this stranger's name, was about an inch shorter than Tarrant. Meaning he was an inch shorter than me. I wanted to laugh. The boy had smooth brown hair, a perfectly pointed yet small nose, and hazel eyes. He seemed as if he were tired, though, which concerned me. There was a bag under each eye, but it was barely visible. Overall, he was adorable, but sleepy looking.

"Demetrix, come join us," The Tarrant called, waving him over.

The brunette stifled a sigh and slowly made his way over to us. When he spotted me, his eyes widened just the slightest. "Oh, hello. I'm Demetrix." He said lazily, plopping on the seat across from me. He poured himself some tea, added two blocks of sugar, and stirred.

"Hi," I greeted, trying to decide whether I should wave or not. I decided not to. "I'm Anastasia Liddell,"

A small, lazy smile grew on the boy's face, and I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. I had so many first impressions to go through. I took note of his front two teeth- they were a bit on the large side, but it looked cute on him. And, Wonderland seemed to have a lot of cute guys. He slowly sipped his tea. "It's chilly, Ana," he shuddered, rubbing his arms up and down.

Tarrant spoke up, "We were just talking about the Cheshire Cat, Demetrix!"

Demetrix shuddered again. "Oh, yes." He replied, stretching his arms behind his head. "The cat and I do not get along."

"Cat and mouse relationship, you see." Tarrant told me, poking my forehead.

I glanced over at the guy across from me. Demetrix seemed like a jumpy person. Someone honest… Yet, he was a bit cowardly. I still thought highly of him, nevertheless. "Why don't you two get along?"

"It's just the natural order of things!" Tarrant exclaimed as he put his hat back on. He peered down at his watch and grinned.

"Oh, what time is it?" I asked curiously.

Once again, this guy seemed to be trying extremely hard not to crack up. After taking a few moments to collect himself, he sighed and rested his hand on mine. "Ana, in MH Estate, it's always six o'clock."

I looked over at Demetrix to see if this was legit. The teen nodded slowly. "The Mad Hatter speaks the truth."

I shook my head in disbelief. "That's impossible."

The two boys looked at each other, exchanging facial expressions. The brunette seemed to be the more quiet type, because Tarrant took on the role of the speaker again. "There's no timekeeper in Wonderland anymore. The Red Queen fired him." He explained, shaking his head. "This means that each citizen who owns their own property gets to choose time."

"Time?"

"Yup. Such as, how long each day should last! Or, like how I prefer it, what time of day is it?" he cheered. "I chose six o'clock because that's the perfect time of day for tea!"

"How do you control time?" I questioned, completely lost.

Demetrix waved his hand, as if he needed permission to answer this question. I looked over at him expectantly and he opened his mouth. "Each owned piece of land is provided with time gears. It gives us all the options to form our perfect day." As he talked, it seemed like his volume was getting lower, like he was losing energy as he spoke. It was very amusing. "Tarrant can control the time of day, how bright or dark the sky is in this exact area, and how long an hour actually is."

"And I choose the time, six o'clock, to be as long as forever!" Tarrant piped in.

I couldn't help but giggle at this point. "Wonderland is truly a work of art," I sighed, studying the extremely long table we were sitting at. Even though we were outside, there were no pesky flies attacking us or the food.

"Wonderland is a trap," a smooth voice scoffed.

All three of our heads darted in the direction of the person who insulted this country.

I recognized those shocking yellow, eyes. The slit pupils. The dark, purple flopped hair. And that spiky collar.

"Shire?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Ana?" Shire said, raising his eyebrows. It was safe to say he wasn't expecting to see me here.

But I couldn't tell if he was happy about it or not.

"Um, hello," I greeted, waving my hand about an inch. "W-what are you doing here?" I croaked, my voice a bit husky and cracked.

He rolled his eyes, putting a hand on his hip. "That's irrelevant. What are _you_ doing here?"

I shrugged, a sheep expression plastered on my face. "We're having tea…?"

Tarrant and Demetrix were looking quite edgy. The sleepy boy looked frightened, while Tarrant had put on a nervous smile. Fortunately, the green-hatted teen spoke up to break the silence. "It's tea time, Shire!" he said enthusiastically. "Would you like-"

"Sorry, Hatter, but in the real world, it's not six o'clock." He said through his clenched teeth. The cat walked over to me, snatched my hand, and pulled me away from the table. "Don't let this idiot spoil your mind with false happiness."

As we walked down the path, farther and farther away from the other two, I heard a sob from Demetrix. Guess he misses me. I stifled a laugh, clasping my free hand over my mouth to keep it in. Shire's frown grew when he saw the weird expression coming from me.

"What's with the face?" he questioned his voice demanding and assertive.

I coughed awkward and let my hand fall to my side. "Nothing,"

Once we got out of the property, I turned around to take a good look at the entrance. Really simple yet appealing. I liked it. "Tarrant's place is really cozy,"

The cat rolled his eyes, letting go of my hand. "The Mad Hatter is a joke." He sneered, marching to the left. "All that joy in him is false. It's an act. And that Dormouse is just his little follower. Under his own curse, I bet."

I chased after Shire, struggling to keep up with his quick pace. "What makes you say that? Seems real to me." I said, bumping into him because he suddenly stopped moving.

He turned around and flicked my forehead. "You're new here. You're ignorant. You don't know anything about me, or anything about him." He barked (or should I say meowed. Oh, my humor. Stay tuned,).

"You say that like it's _my_ fault!" I barked right back, clenching my fists. "It's tough being new. Especially when you have no idea why you're even here!" I screamed, turning around and storming away. "I just want to go home," I cried, tears racing down my cheeks. I didn't plan on crying in front of anyone here, especially the Cheshire Cat.

"Then go home," Shire replied, his voice calmer now. He didn't reach for me, or even stepped towards me. "But you probably don't want directions from me," he chuckled, strolling away.

I was elated that his tone dropped from anger to friendly… But I was hurt that he didn't act on comforting me.

I wanted him to follow me.

But that Cheshire Cat didn't work that way, and for some reason, I thought it was quite attractive. I trailed away from the Mad Hatter's Estate, trying to think of why that boy would be secretly depressed. Yet, there was always a different person to run into. This time, though, it was a familiar face, and I was actually just with him. No, not Shire. It was Demetrix.

"Hey, Ana!" he called. Even though he was yelling, his volume wasn't really loud. "I hope the cat didn't hurt you," he said softly, looking back at where Shire disappeared off to. When he turned back to study my face, he raised his eyebrows, shocked to see me crying. "What did he tell you?"

I shrugged, wiping away my tears. They kept coming. "N-nothing," I sniffled. "I-I just want to get out of h-here. I'm so confused."

Demetrix bit his lower lip. The small teen was most likely confused as to what to do with me. I guess I made the situation awkward due to my crying. Surprisingly, he reached forward and gently wiped the stray tears, then hugged me. "No one means to enter Wonderland on purpose." He whispered into my shoulder. "The citizens you see here simply decided to stay…" his voice went low by the time he completed that sentence.

I blushed and glanced to see if maybe, just maybe, Shire would come back to elaborate on this. "Oh," was all I managed to say. Demetrix soon pulled out of the hug and started walking towards the wooden gates. "I should go tend to the garden," he said with his signature yawn. "Be safe, Ana."

"Bye, Demetrix," I replied with a small smile. He was a very kind boy, despite his constant sleepiness. I suppose he's overworked? I decided to not ask about it; I didn't want to appear nosy. Continuing on yet another walking trip, I ventured onward. My eyes were alert, because I honestly didn't know what to expect anymore. What did Shire mean when he said Wonderland was a trap? Why does he hate Tarrant so much? And he looks at Demetrix like he's a pile of trash! From the way I see it, Wonderland is a perfect, peaceful country. But, it did have a few exceptions: Shire, Absolem, and the flower girls. Which, reminded me of the brilliant Aster Sage. Wow, that man was gorgeous. Although, his age was still a mystery- he looked about twenty. Tarrant was just adorable, and Demetrix was cool and collected. He was cute too.

"Oh, crap! I'm so late!" An unfamiliar voice huffed, coming towards me.

I jumped and turned around, startled. I didn't say anything, though, because obviously he had somewhere to be.

And, boy, did I want him to stop and talk to me. Seriously, this guy had the perfect balance between cuteness and handsomeness. I studied his stature and face. His face was slightly on the pail side, and his eyes were a beautiful blue. The boy's hair was a sandy blond. He wore a navy blue waistcoat with a white, long-sleeved shirt underneath it. It all tied together nicely with his modest fit jeans. The most shocking thing to see on him, of course, was the ginormous white bunny ears coming out of his head. I wanted to pull at them.

When he spotted me, he turned a deep shade of red and grinned. "Oh my gosh! Anastasia Liddell?! You're here! Finally!" he exclaimed, his arms in the air. He peered down at his watch and grimaced, then took my hand and started running (Or should I say, hopping?). "You need to come with me, I lost track of time and I'm late!" he sighed. "I need to go by Heart Kingdom's time, not my own." He explained, trailing ahead of me.

I couldn't help but look at him from behind. And, wow, I started giggling.

Because on his backside was a small, fluffy cotton ball tail.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Once again, I didn't really have a choice about this decision of whether or not I should follow this random attractive bunny guy. He was really lean and strong. It wasn't a terrible journey, though. Mostly because Wonderland is gorgeous. When I asked how long it would take to get to the kingdom, Bunny Boy didn't look back at me. "It won't be too long, Ana. All this forest is just the outskirts of the kingdom," he explained, pulling me along. "The Queen hates trees and shrubs and natural greenery," he sighed.

"Oh, really?" I wondered. "But how could you hate nature? It's gorgeous."

Bunny Boy turned his head and gave me a soft smile. And, wow, he was blushing too. "It really is gorgeous, huh?" he replied, looking away now. "She agrees it's beautiful too, but she thinks the real stuff is dirty. All the flowers and plants you're about to see is all fake."

My eyes widened. Fake? Back home, we never dared to have a fake plant in our house- it just felt so artificial. There was not a single plastic, man-made flower in our house, and we loved it that way. "I find that really sad…"

He nodded in agreement, keeping my close to him. I decided to quicken my pace so that he wouldn't have to struggle to keep me near. Now, walking side by side, I finally asked the question. "So, what's your name?"

"I didn't tell you my name? Gosh, I'm sorry," he apologized, shaking his head in disbelief. He suddenly stopped walking. His body turned to face me, and his hand reached out for a shake. "I'm William Robinson." He stated, beaming at me politely. "Just call me Will. William is way too formal for me, you know?"

I giggled and shook his hand as expected of me. He was really nice and down to earth- not too formal like Aster. "And I would say that you could call me Ana since Anastasia is way too formal too," I said, retracting my hand. "But you already took the liberty of calling me that anyways."

William chuckled and started walking again; this time, unfortunately, he wasn't holding my hand any more. On our journey together, I took note of all the things we passed by. It wasn't anything abnormal, just the usual Wonderland trees and land that was just so green and bright. Well, the normality changed once I spotted someone strolling towards us. It would've been normal if this stranger was actually walking properly. I nervously poked William on the shoulder. "Will? Who's that?"

The boy turned his head to the left and grimaced. "That's, um," he hesitated, looking stressed out. "That's my brother."

Before I could comment on this, the William's brother made a strange noise. He opened his arms out for what I assumed was an expecting hug. "Willie! Wow!" he hiccupped, stumbling to his brother. "Where have you been? I love you, man."

Anyone could tell that these two weren't the closest. And, I'd just like to describe William's brother so that his stature will sink in. First of all, his eyebrows were arched a bit higher than the average person, so he will always have a natural surprised look on his face- even the slightest. This differs from William, who had very calm, welcoming eyebrows. His hair was a grayish brown. Second, the stranger had a darker skin tone. Like, caramel, which was very dissimilar from Will's light complexion. Third, despite Will's beautiful blue eyes, his brother had one dark brown eye, and the other was red. Last, he was drunk. And it was obvious that William was sober. They did, though, have long ears. Except, the stranger's ears were brown and longer.

"Willie," he slurred, shaking his brother. "Willie, speak to me!"

William pushed his brother away from him, frowning. "I really don't want to speak to you," he scoffed, taking me by the waist.

Or course, I turned a fantastic shade of red. "U-uh, hello. I'm Anastasia Liddell." I greeted nervously, not sure how to talk to this fella.

The drunk teen nodded slowly. "My wife came early?" he wondered, scratching his head. "Wow, I didn't know you were gonna be blond." He said, clicking his tongue.

Was he for real? Apparently William didn't think so. He started tugging me again, escorting me away.

"W-wait!" his brother cried, reaching a hand out. Unable to ignore his pleads, I looked over at him and bit my lip, unsure. "My name is Mercy Hummus." He yelped, waving his arms frantically. "I-I know I'm not easy on the eye, b-but I'm not always this weird," he insisted, falling to his knees.

I felt so sorry for him.

And as much as I wanted to stay on Will's side, I just couldn't ignore this guy. Sadly, I spoke up. "Would you like to come with us, Mercy?" I asked. When I spotted the huge lazy grin on his face, I immediately regretted the kind gesture. But, I felt like a good person. That's very moral of me, right?

Mercy stumbled over to us, enveloping me in a painful hug. "Thank you so much. Willie always leaves me alone by myself to suffer." He sighed, pulling away and trying to walk in a straight line next to us. It wasn't going so well, and I had to keep my hand on his arm to make sure he didn't fall.

I looked over at William to see how he felt about this, and it wasn't a good feeling. He had a stern frown on his face as he paced forward. I leaned toward him and tried to appear innocent- which, thankfully, I was very innocent in this situation because I did the right thing. "Will, I'm so sorry. He looked like he needed help," I whispered, sighing.

Bunny Boy just shook his head and shrugged. "It's okay," he exhaled, looking over at me. His facial expression softened a bit, so I knew I was forgiven. But, he was still upset about my decision.

After another long ten minute of walking, we reached the entrance of Heart Kingdom. There were two soldiers standing in front of the huge iron gate. The bars of the gate were wrapped with delightful green vines. The two soldiers weren't really that much to describe; they were masked and in brick red armor- so I couldn't judge their appearance like I do with everyone else here. I was a bit offended that they ruined my routine, but they were quickly forgiven when they immediately opened the gates and moved out the way. How nice. The three of us walked beyond the walls leading into the kingdom.

I brushed my hand against the gate and William's words from earlier were correct: they were indeed plastic. In fact, as we venture through the brightly red-themed empire, all the plastic plants looked extremely legit.

We skipped past the little cottages and markets, a horse farm (the horses were all a very reddish auburn color, how interesting), a blessed orphanage, and finally a decorative fountain. Further than that fountain was the bridge to the castle, which was, as expected, guarded. We crossed carefully, but the bridge was nice and sturdy, so the carefulness wasn't necessary at all. William whispered something to the guards, too hushed for me to even catch any words. The knights nodded and moved out the way as the castle door opened. I let out an amazed gasped, taking it all in. The floors were tiled with red and black, resembling a checker board. The walls were lined with paintings, sketches, and portraits of a plump lady with crimson red hair and eyes. She was very pretty, and if she lost some weight she'd be even easier on the eye. We marched down the corridor till we reached the throne room.

My eyes widened when I noticed the woman who sat on that huge gold chair with red cushions. She was the same lady from the pictures- the hair and eyes. Her hair was curled, falling over her shoulders. She had long eyelashes, and her face was really pale- not naturally, though, because it was powdered. She was so beautiful and elegant as she sat before me. If only she could lose a few pounds, her face would be more sculpted. Who am I kidding? She needed to lose a few hundred pounds in order to pull off the whole look. Her dress was literally straining itself to hold together, and I almost felt sorry for her. When I turned my head to the left, there were more pictures of her. The last one, although, had a date plaque beneath it. My hands flew to my mouth to keep quiet. That date was from last year! The picture above it was her, well-built and beautiful! I was shocked. She really let herself go… Maybe something happened between now and then that made her lose hope?

That's when I noticed that William and Mercy were bowing before her, and I immediately felly to my knees and bowed as well.

The Queen cleared her throat and all three of us scrambled to our feet. "You are late, William." She stated, her face in a little pout. "Again,"

William coughed awkwardly into his sleeve and bowed his head in shame. "My best apologies, my Queen!" he replied, his hand on his heart. He sighed and stared into her eyes. "I keep losing track of time. The outskirts have different time management and- well it's very confusing."

"Are you trying to say that you miss the timekeeper?" she asked impatiently.

Bunny Boy shook his head frantically. "A-absolutely not, my Queen! I just lost track of time, I insist. A-and, if it makes this any better, I found the girl from the legacy."

The woman raised her eyebrows and gazed at me, her mouth opening as if she were surprised. "Y-you? You are the girl form the curse? Anastasia Liddell?" she questioned, pointing at me.

I blushed and nodded my head slowly. "I believe so… I mean, that is my name, at least."

She grinned and clapped her hands together. "No wonder they were meant to love you- you're truly delightful!" she cheered, resting her elbow on the armrest of her throne. "A little bit on the skinny side, though. We'll fix that, yes?"

I couldn't help but glance down at my body. I wasn't really skinny… Or over weight. I thought I was doing alright! "Of course, your Majesty…"

Mercy chuckled and threw a fist in the sky. "Oh, my Queen! You look lovely! Simple divine!" he cooed, scratching his ribs.

The Queen ignored the delusional Mercy and kept her attention on me. "Welcome to Wonderland's Heart Kingdom," she said with a bubbly giggle. "I'm the Queen of Hearts," she continued, patting her knee. "I see you noticed how I looked last year? Well, that's quite alright. I'm eighteen now, and I can weigh as much as I want!"

She's eighteen? Is that why she let herself go? To make a statement about her freedom? I just gave her a polite smile. "You are pretty no matter how big or small the size, your Majesty…"

She giggled and waved me dismissively. "Stop it, Anastasia. You sure know how to flatter someone." She hooted. "Alright, well, William." She barked, standing to her feet. "Let's have that meeting now, shall we? And, Mercy, you hooligan, go pelt rocks at the prisoners or something." She sneered. Then, the lady smiled at me, grateful. "Ana, sweetie, you can explore the castle. You are welcome anytime, yes?" she said. The Queen slowly walked out the back exit of the Throne Room alongside William. Mercy laughed and dashed out the room as well.

I heard a cough from someone in the room. To my surprise, there was a guard in the corner of the large room. He looked at me and blushed. Yes, I could see his face. He wasn't wearing a mask. His eyes were red, and he had black, short hair that rested nicely on his forehead. The teen opened his mouth, to speak maybe, but was interrupted by the Queen's shrill voice: "WHERE'S MY PERSONAL GUARD?!"

The boy bowed to me and ran out the room.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The most confusing thing about the country of Wonderland is that everyone here thinks I'm the prettiest thing they've ever seen. Is there a shortage in women? That's highly unlikely considering I spotted many, including the Heart Kingdom's population of females and the flower girls. There were plenty. Plus, those flower ladies were quite cute, and I pray you don't take that the wrong way… I'm just telling things as it is. This is a very strange place. The constant stares, blushing, and every significant person seems to know my name! It's like I'm a celebrity visiting my home country. It felt nice. I was enjoying it so much. Although, I could do without the boy drama. Why do all the boys here have to be attractive to me? It'd be much easier.

First of all, my buddy Absolem seems to have something against me. I never did a single thing to that thing and yet he fails to show some kindness. He answers everything very bluntly, and I can't help but be intrigued by his brooding personality. On that note, Shire was one of those guys who matched Absolem's personality pretty closely. Except, the cat had a sense of humor, and knew how to smile. And, boy, was that some smile. Is it weird that I want to measure his mouth with a ruler? It's normal-sized when he's not smiling, but when he reveals his grin? I guess you could say it's bright, mischievous, and very attractive.

Speaking of the devil…

"I see you made it to the kingdom?" The cat-boy asked, flicking one of my blonde girls that tickled my arm.

I smirked and shrugged my shoulders. "I got some help from Will and Mercy,"

Shire's eyes widened, taking this all in, I supposed. "William? That white rabbit fella? Yeah, he's trustable. Gets along with just about everyone," he explained, crossing his arms. "Yet his brother is freakin' irritating and insane. Just like that Madhatter."

Not sure how to comment on this, I simply nodded. "So do you like the Queen? She seems really nice, you know,"

"Of course I know how she is," he scoffed, rolling his eyes. Shire smiled- not one of his talented grins, but one of those easy, soft ones. I liked this one too. "She's decent. But I don't agree with her. Not a fan, that's for sure, Ana." He said, his voice almost sounding like he was warning me or something.

"Do you like Absolem?" I blurted, waving my hands. Okay, I don't know where these random questions were coming from, but I felt so desperate to know everything about this place. Everything about him.

Shire smiled, "One of my closest friends in Wonderland," he stated with a nod. "He might seem dull at first, but if you know him like I do, you'd understand why I respect the guy."

I nodded once more, enjoying this conversation. Shire had a nice voice. I would've told him but I wasn't sure whether he was the type to like compliments. Eh, who cares? "You have a nice voice," I blurted, staring at him with a blank look on my face.

Shire snickered, poking my hand. Weird, he did that when we first met. "Really? Because I found yours just as nice," he said, amused.

Now, I wasn't positive about whether or not he meant that compliment, but that didn't stop me from blushing. "A-hah," I said, rubbing the back of her neck. "Thanks. So, uh, do you like it here? You seem a bit out of place. Ah, being here. You just don't look-"

"Like a local?" He asked, interrupting my blabbering. He rolled his eyes and put a hand on his hip. Oddly enough, that pose didn't seem feminine at all. He could pull off any female-popular position and make it wonderfully manly. His shoulders slowly rolled up, and then back down. "There's a reason for me not dressing in those ugly colors. I like my own black and purple. The bruise colors." He explained, nodding his head. "I prefer the outskirts, anyways. Much more freedom. As soon as you step in Heart Kingdom, you're under the law. Outside these gates there are no rules. None. You know why?" The cat boy didn't even let me answer. "Because we have no ruler, and I'd like to keep it that way. Well, whatever. What did you plan on doing around here?"

I shrugged my shoulders, twisting my upper body left and right like a child. "Don't know. The Queen just dismissed me, saying I could do whatever I want."

"Then go do whatever you want," Shire stated, raising his eyebrow. "I'm off," he said, dismissing me. I watched him walk away, that big fluffy tail swaying to and fro as he passed the gates. I really wanted to follow him, truly I did. But, I was curious to see more of the kingdom. And more of the castle. And more of William. And maybe I'll see Aster Sage here too? How exciting. I headed back to the castle because he was most likely going to be in there somewhere.

After a good ten minutes of roaming around the huge thing, I finally found a room that had a sign that read "Sewing Room". Excellent. I knocked on the door twice and slowly crept inside. I was greeted with four smiles and a sneer. It was the flower girls, the ones I chose to come and aid Aster with his dress project. Lilac, Thistle, Daisy, White Rose, and, of course, Pansy. Guess who was sneering?

"What are _you_ doing here?" Pansy asked, her teeth clenched as if she were holding herself back from clawing at me. "I don't remember Aster asking for her company on the job."

Lilac blinked and waved her hand at Pansy as Thistle tsked. "Pansy, you mustn't be so rude." Thistle scolded, then turned and reached out a hand. "Thank you so much for choosing us. It was an honor. We always fight for the chance to accompany Aster Sage. He's just such a lovely man, yes?"

"Extremely," I agreed, smiling at Lilac and her light purple hair. Of course, all the flower girls had hair that matched the color of the flower they were named and dressed after. I glanced around the room in case Aster was possibly hidden behind a piece of furniture, hard at work. He wasn't.

"We all know you're only in this room to flirt with Aster," Pansy groaned, looking at the girls for support. None of them responded in her favor.

"Well, technically, that's why we're here too, Pansy…" White Rose coughed out, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

Daisy nodded quickly, blushing. "It's too true," she sighed, giggling like a schoolgirl. "Aster Sage is just so handsome and smart and fashionable. And, he has an eye for women, not men!" she cheered.

I stifled a laugh, bopping my head a bit. "That's real good news," I admitted, staring at a naked manikin. I tilted my head to the side. That was the hugest manikin I've even seen! Not in height, but in width. It was so wide, almost as wide as…

The Queen.

Right, they were making a dress for her. This was very amusing. "So how's work going, girls?"

Thistle grinned and shrugged her dainty shoulders. "We're just trying to work on the ruffles for the bottom of the dress." Lilac nodded and chimed in; "We should be done in an hour!"

And, as if on cue, the handsome Aster Sage strolled inside the room. When he spotted me, he plopped his supplies onto the table and reached out for my arm. His lips touched my hand and made its way up to right beneath my shoulder. As soon as he let go, I shuddered. Wow. "My darling," he whispered, his face very close to mine. "My precious flower, Anastasia." He said, his voice low and hush, as if he were telling me a secret. A secret only I was supposed to know. Yikes. "You came,"

I blushed as his mouth spread into a striking smile. "H-hello, Aster," I greeted, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

The young man nodded his head, his finger on my chin. "It'd make my day if the reason you came to the castle was to find me," he said, gazing at me.

Pansy cleared her throat. "Mr. Sage, the dress should be done in an hour if we keep working." She said innocently. "We should continue our work in private. You know, to avoid any _distractions_." And yes, her eyes frowned at me when she said distraction.

Stupid, haters. Thankfully, Aster didn't seem so happy about that idea. He rolled his eyes and let go off my chin, turning his body away from me to face Pansy. He couldn't hold his glare for long, and so his face softened and he looked at me. "Ana, I hate to admit it but Pansy is right." He sighed, putting a hand on my waist. It shifted up and down soothingly. Like he was trying to comfort me. "Forgive me, my precious flower. I'll make up for it later. You're far too distracting; I won't be able to work efficiently if I have someone as stunning as you visible." He cracked another fetching smile. "We will meet up again soon. When I'm done working, I'll make up for this." He assured.

I was escorted to the door by the impatient Pansy. She flung the door open and stretched her arm in the direction of that exit. "Good bye, Anastasia."

I ignored her and beamed at Aster Sage. "Promise?" I asked, hopeful.

Aster tilted his head at me and planted a soft kiss on my lips. "Promise."

And when I was fully outside of the castle, I couldn't help but keep thinking the same thought.

Best three seconds of my life.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I figured that Aster Sage would be able to find me any time he wanted to, so I left the kingdom. I was holding a heart shaped chicken sandwich because I obviously got hungry. It's been a long day. As I nibbled on my meal, the wind began to violently blow in all directions. I shivered and kept moving forward, swallowing my sandwich soon after. Someone's hands found its way on my shoulder, and I turned around.

It was the guard from before. The unmasked one. The one who wanted to tell me something, but had to go.

"Oh, hello," I greeted, rubbing my arms up and down to create some sort of warmth. "I r-remember you,"

He furrowed his eyebrows, frowning. I suppose he was concerned for me. That was really nice. The soldier attempted to help me out, wrapping his arms around me. My face was resting against his chest, and we were kind of pressed against each other. I wasn't blushing, because I knew this didn't mean much- just a kind gesture. Also because the chilly weather made my cheeks pale.

"You're the guy who stood in the corner of the throne room," I continued, talking to feel the breath of my voice. "How come you don't wear a mask? Every other soldier does except for you." I waited, but wasn't patient enough to get him to answer. "Is it because you're one of the highest ranking soldiers?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. This time I waited a good minute- yet he remained shy and silent. I glanced up at him, trying to read his face. His eyebrows were still scrunching together in a way that made me believe that he was tongue-tied. "D-do you like your job?" I questioned, staring up at him. "What am I saying? Of course you can't answer that,"

"It's the opposite." He suddenly said, his voice cracking slightly.

Eager to keep this conversation going, I immediately chimed in, "The opposite of what? So you actually are allowed to bad talk the Queen?"

The soldier shook his head. "No, the opposite of being one of the highest ranks." He sighed. After a long pause, he continued. "I'm one of the lowest ranks. Not qualified enough for a mask."

I pulled away; my hands on his arms still keep his attention. "You don't talk very much… Well, at least you keep looking like you regret every word."

Soldier Boy peered down at me, frozen for a moment. "I'm not allowed to talk until I move up from Yellow Shield."

I tilted my head to the side. "So you're not qualified to have the right to speak yet?" He nodded and I frowned. "That's silly. But, I don't want you to get in trouble."

"Thank you," he said the corner of his lip quirking up just by the slightest. The closest thing he could do to a smile, I bet. "My name is Halil." He explained.

My eyes lit up for a moment. "How unique. Does it have a meaning?"

"It means dear friend."

I grinned and let go of his arms, taking a step back. "I bet,"

Halil blushed and kept up with his 'smile', staring down at his feet. "You're cold. Maybe you could stay at the castle for the night?" he whispered.

I shook my head, flicking my hand down. "No, that's okay," I assured him, smiling at his courtesy. "I'll visit here and there if I don't find my way back home in time…" I trailed off, backing up into someone's front. I spun around and there he stood, Absolem.

The earthy teen smirked, "You're freezing to death." He stated. "Ana, that soldier will be fired if you try to get him to talk. Stop. It's obvious he's still a Yellow Shield." Absolem told me, walking away. "Come with me."

I bit my lip and glanced at Halil. "I'll definitely come back to see you, Halil," I said in a hushed voice. I gave him a quick hug and scurried after Absolem.

After a few moments, I looked over my shoulder to see Halil, but he was out of sight. The soldier probably had to get back to the castle. How'd he get out without the Queen noticing? Wait- did he sneak out just to find me? Possibly, but I'd hate to flatter myself by assuming that.

About a mile later, Absolem and I came across this large dome-shaped house. I groaned and kicked the building with my foot. "Great, another dome you can push me into," I scoffed.

He chuckled and opened the door, shoving my inside the house. Well, at least I wasn't dropped down a hole to get inside. But I did fall face flat onto the floor. Thank the Queen it was carpeted. I heard laughter, but it definitely didn't sound like Absolem. I raised my head and spotted Shire. Fantastic. I scrambled to my feet and huffed. "I see the welcoming committee isn't trained enough."

"There was training?" Shire grinned deviously, brushing the dust off my Aster Sage Dress. Yes, that's what I call it now. My ASD. "Never got the memo." He joked, retracting his hand away from me.

I rolled my eyes, studying the home now. I was a nice height, and very spacy. There were soft, crimson sofas scattered about the room. One set of them were separated by a wooden table that shined because it was glossed over. A fireplace rested on one of the walls, the one farthest from the entrance door. The wall on the left of me had cute, wooden swing doors. You could see above the little doors, and so I glanced in and knew that beyond them was the kitchen. The door on my right wasn't like the swing doors. It was wooden, though. I guess it lead to the bedrooms? Overall, the dome was cozy. Except for the fact that there were clocks all over the walls, and each one with a different time on it.

"Whose house is this?" I asked, amazed by the décor. My hand grazed one of the comfortable-looking sofas.

"Mine." Absolem answered, following me. "It belongs to me, but another being lives here too."

I looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Shire?" I questioned, pointing at Cat Man.

Shire rolled his eyes, "You already saw my house. It looks nothing like this. I'd never live in a dome. I live in a tree, Ana."

Oh, right. That cat lived in this humungous tree. I never spotted a door on it, though. Actually, I didn't find any windows on it either. Maybe it's like Aster Sage's building. His doors and windows were only seen from the inside. How neat! "So who is it, then? I asked impatiently.

"Me," A deep voice rumbled from the kitchen.

It was time for me to look him over. Let's see. The stranger was, first of all, dressed in a black cloak and dark jeans. He had a gold watch hanging around his neck, and a larger one on his wrist. White material poked out of his cloak at the openings, so I could tell he was wearing a white, button-down shirt underneath. Long-sleeved. His hair was a shiny, silky black, with a large amount of it resting on his forehead. His eyes were a stunning green.

"I-I see you're the one who had the idea of clocks being the theme of this home…" was all I could say.

Clock Boy nodded, an amused smile cracking on his face. "I guess so,"

Absolem made a noise, shaking his head slowly. "You guess?" he scoffed.

Shire pointed at Clock Boy, then at me as he spoke. "That's the former timekeeper. The one who lost his job," he said softly. "Sounds familiar? Do you remember that Mad Hatter revealing that to you?" he asked accusingly.

I turned red and rubbed the back of my neck nervously. "Right…"

Absolem placed a hand on my shoulder and stared at Shire, a blank expression on his face. "Ana didn't do anything." He told Shire. "She came here completely ignorant. You can't accuse her of anything yet."

Cat Boy frowned and crossed his arms, looking away to hide his sudden shame. "Look at you, making it easy for her, ya caterpillar."

Caterpillar? How random. I remained quiet for a bit.

The former timekeeper sat calmly on the couch. "You two always quarrel," he said, shaking his head at them. "Sit down and get over yourselves."

Shocked, Shire and Absolem slowly lowered themselves onto different couches. They did this without a word. I struggled to keep my jaw from dropping. This timekeeper guy seemed to be keeping those teens from arguing. Didn't Shire say Absolem and him were close? This was priceless. I cleared my throat and sat beside Clock Boy on the couch, giving us a foot distance between. "My name is Anastasia Liddell," I greeted, reaching a hand out.

The stranger smiled and took my wrist, shaking it. "Tannyn Kai." He said slowly, as if he were being careful with his word choice. I already had a good first impression of him, so he didn't have to be so cautious. I returned his smile. "Now you understand my interests in clocks?" he asked, gesturing to the clocks on the walls.

I nodded. "They represent you. You keep, well… You kept track of time for everyone. Clocks keep track of time for everyone, too. It's practically your symbol!" I felt proud for that conclusion.

He, too, seemed impressed by this. "Well, yes." He agreed, shifting himself around on the couch. He glanced back at Shire and Absolem, who were both zoning out. "I was really attached to my job… I thought I was doing a good job."

"I'm sure you were," I said, shaking my head in disbelief. "You seem very organized and dedicated. Di you make a mistake?"

"Apparently he did," Absolem replied, leaning his back on the sofa. "Because the Queen got pissed and kicked him out the Kingdom. Now he can't keep track of time anywhere."

"What about his own property? Tarrant told me all landlords can make up their own time for their property."

Shire raised his hand. "The Queen forbids him to ever own a piece of land." He moaned. "She says that if she can't have him to keep time, then nobody can. Not even himself."

I looked at Tannyn to see if this was true. It was, because he let out a deep sigh.

Cat Boy wanted to add another fact for me, which I appreciated. "I know I told you that outside of the kingdom had no rules," he began, studying the arm of the sofa. "But this is different. The Kingdom Outskirts may not have a ruler, but it is somehow ruled over by the Queen… indirectly. If she gets word that he's controlling time again, well, she'll get rid of whatever body parts were used in the crime."

I grimaced, "W-what do you mean?"

"If you get caught for stealing," Absolem explained, plainly, "She'll have your hands cut off. If you attack a soldier, depending on how fatal the attack was, the Queen will have cut parts off."

"That's terrible," I sighed, biting my lip nervously. What if I end up sitting on a sacred chair? Oh dear… "Have you been…?"

Absolem shook his head. Tannyn did the same. Shire fell silent.

He nodded.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

No way. Shire didn't appear to have anything cut off. He committed a crime? I shook my head in disbelief, smiling. He's totally messing with me. Right?

Wrong. "I'm not kidding, Ana." Shire sighed, raking his fingers through his floppy hair.

I looked over at Absolem and Tannyn for clarification. They shrugged. "Shire was always a mischievous teen," Absolem said quietly.

Tannyn raised a finger, indicating that he wanted to say something. "_Curiosity killed the cat_ isn't just a silly wordplay. It's a lesson."

Shire rolled his eyes and huffed. "I knocked over the Queen one time. It wasn't really on purpose." He explained, staring up at the ceiling as if he were bored. "She was reaching for something on the ground, one leg popped up in the air. I bent down to get it and had to shift my weight over a bit. My hip bumped her and she fell over."

"Right into the plastic flowerbeds," Tannyn added shyly.

I stared at the two of them, trying to process this. He knocked her over with his hip? That's it? Then again, the royal lady is very important; she's the Queen after all. I guess her form of discipline was…strict. I shuddered. "S-so she cut off your…"

"Hip. She sliced the side of it off." Shire stared blankly, as if it were obvious. Cat Boy stood up and made his familiar pose. "You think I put my hand on my hip all the time for style?" he asked, his friendly yet teasing voice was back yet again.

I studied his hip, raising a curious eyebrow. "I can't believe it." I exhaled, standing up.

Shire took my wrist and tugged me over to him. He guided my hand to the side of his thigh, gliding it over his hip. It felt like something, but definitely not like your normal hip. I felt a bolt, like a screw or a nail. This still left me in confusion. Why was there a metal screw in his hip? Tannyn seemed to notice my confusion, and so he spoke up. "Let her see it," And Shire obeyed. He let go my hand and pulled one side of his black skinny jeans down a few inches. My eyes widened at the sight; the side of his leg was gone. Seriously, a length of five inches was just gone. Replacing it was a piece of metal that could shift side to side when Shire needed to do so. I reached my fingers forward, glancing up at Shire for permission. He nodded slowly, watching me brush my fingertips over the artificial hip. "Does it ever ache?" I asked, retracting my hand and looked at him.

"Sometimes," he answered softly as he raised his pants up properly. "When I run, I guess."

"I-I'm so sorry to h-"

Tannyn swiftly rose to his feet and sighed, making his way to the front door. "Let Ana sleep here tonight, Absolem." He demanded nicely, turning the knob.

Absolem cleared his throat, following close behind the timekeeper. "That was my plan." He said quietly, "Where are you going?"

"I'll be back tonight." Tannyn said, thrusting the door open. "Have her sleep in my room."

And he was gone.

I broke the silence, "Guess I'm sleeping here tonight!" I laughed nervously. "So,"

"So," Absolem agreed.

"Um, yeah. You guys are strange." Shire butted in, smirking at me. I blushed and rolled my eyes, and he continued to speak. "I should head home soon."

I found myself frowning. I felt so disappointed, I didn't know why. "Why?"

Shire stared at me, tilting his head to the side with a sly smile. "I knew you'd love my company as much as I do." He said.

I crossed my arms and tried to pout adorably like the girls at school did. I don't think it was as beneficial as I thought, because Shire looked like he was choking on his laughter. "Hey!" I whined, throwing my fist at his shoulder.

He caught my wrist before it made contact to him, a leer on his face. "Forgetting about my catlike reflexes?" he snickered, dropping my hand. "I'm leaving because I'm not much of a sleepover kind of person."

"People can change…" I trailed off, hoping.

"I'm not much of a person." He said, his right ear twitching.

"Why won't you stay?"

"How many rooms do you think this dome has, Ana?" Shire asked, slightly irritated. Whoops. He gave me a smile anyways. "I appreciate the effort, but I'd rather knock out at my tree."

Absolem raised his hand. "You can sleep on the ground in my room." He offered, shrugging his shoulders.

"I think Ana would rather have me in her room, don't you agree?" he asked cleverly.

I turned red and opened the front door for him, gesturing with my hand for him to leave. "I think you should go now. Have a nice trip."

Shire chuckled, heading towards me. "I'm not evil; I won't have some girl desiring me to stay with her and not obey her wishes." He said, amused. "I'll visit tomorrow morning, alright?"

"It's a date," I chimed, thankful.

I should've watched my word choice, because Cat Boy was doing his famous wide grin. "I'll be counting the time spent without you," he cooed, waving me off and leaving the dome. He hesitated and pecked me on the cheek, then walked off. "Don't blow me off."

And I shut the door, stunned. When I my eyes caught Absolem's, I noticed that he was scowling. "You like that Cheshire Cat?" he asked, his voice serious.

I blushed and walked over to the couch, sitting next to him. My hands managed to stay in my lap, and I stared down at them. "Ah, hah…" I laughed nervously. Actually, I wasn't sure how I felt about anyone. Every guy in Wonderland was attractive in their own way, and they were all somewhat in love with me. I still find that hard to believe considering some of them don't act like they're head over heels. "I don't think so…"

"You get flustered easily," The earthy boy said, reaching forward and taking my hand in his. I hesitated, my cheeks feeling hot. He laughed and let go my hand. "See?"

I frowned and looked around the room for something to preoccupy me. "What time is it?" I asked, sighing at all the misguided clocks on the wall. They kind of remind me of Shire. I wonder if he could actually find his way home. Maybe he took the long way.

"It's nine at night." Absolem said, squinting at the clock resting above the fireplace. "That one is the correct one."

"Can I see the time gears?" I blurted, tilting my head to the side and leaning forward expectantly.

"Tomorrow, if you're lucky, I'll get Tannyn to show you how it works." He responded softly, looking at me now. I bit my lip and stared down at my lap again, feeling quite uneasy. "You should go to bed. It's been a long day,"

I looked up, only to see him holding his hand out for me to take. I grasped it and we stood to our feet. He led me through the door opposite of the kitchen, guiding me down the hallway. He stopped at the white door that had a painted gold clock on it. The door opened and I stepped inside. The bed was large and round, and the bed sheet was a clock the size of the bed. I'd be sleeping on time, tonight. The wall had a humongous clock hanging on it, and my jaw dropped. Wow. There was a side table on either side of the bed, each one with a lamp on it. The one on the right had a crimson-colored book on it. The carpeting was very soft, and I slipped my shoes off to get a better sense of it. Just as I thought.

Absolem gave me a soft smile, gently pushing me towards the bed. "I'm serious, you've had a real long day."

"I know, trust me." I laughed lightly, falling back onto the amazing, round bed. I love this room. I love this dome. It was just so cozy. "Where will Tannyn sleep?" I asked, brushing my hand on the blanket.

"On the couch," he replied, dismissing the topic. "You'll be okay in here, right?" he asked uneasily.

I shrugged and glanced out the window. The view was okay, just a forest scene. "Absolutely." I exhaled, looking over at him now. He wasn't so bad, just as Shire foretold me. "Hey, did you recognize that soldier I was talking to?"

Absolem grinned at me- something I've never seen him fully manage. It was pretty nice. He headed for the door and cocked his head to the side. "Who?"

I rolled my eyes and waved him away. "Good night," I giggled. My head rested on the cotton-like pillows, melting right in there. I shut my eyes and smiled. I guess I really was exhausted. Nice observation, Absolem.

I heard the door creak as he closed it. There was a quiet noise.

His voice, I believe. It was very faint, and even cracked a bit, as if he were frustrated and in disbelief. "Shire was right,"

Wait... What?


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I felt like I slept for about five seconds when I was awakened by the sound of _CLINK! _My eyes flew open, and I flung myself off the bed. When I checked the time in the room, it was about five in the morning. How delightful. I stretched my arms behind my head as I headed toward the window. It seemed to be where that sound emitted from, so I opened it and peered outside. I looked to the right and saw nothing. Looked down and saw nothing. Looked to the left and saw nothing. I was about to go back to bed when something dropped on my head. A pebble. I glanced up and there he was.

Shire. Amazing.

We exchanged grins as he shifted his weight on the sturdy tree branch. "What're you doing?" I asked, amused by this scene.

Cat Boy smirked and held his hand out. "I said I'd be here in the morning, didn't I?"

I took his hand and he tugged me onto the branch. "You really keep those promises," I replied, clinging onto his shirt in case I were to fall. "But isn't it kind of early?"

He hopped off the tree and I lowered myself a bit. On cue, his hands found my waist and he took it, lifting me down to the grass. "Guess I couldn't wait too long," I felt myself suddenly blushing again once he turned around and began to walk. I followed close behind, making sure not to say anything stupid. "So," he began, strolling along through the forest. "Heard you tried making a Yellow Shield talk,"

Was he trying to sound casual? It sounded rehearsed to me. I raised an eyebrow, "Uh, sure."

"What do you think?"

"Um…" I blurted, not sure how to approach this random interrogation. "He's really sweet. Don't tell the Queen he talked to me, please!" I pleaded, quickening my pace so he could look at me.

"Why would I? I'm no snitch," Shire scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Well then," I began, letting out a content sigh. "His name is Halil. He's truly amazing and cozy and warm,"

Shire raised both his eyebrows, making an impressed face as he nodded. "Halil, huh?" he asked. He stopped walking, which made me stop was well. His eyes bored into mine. "Don't let strangers touch you like that."

My eyes widened for a moment. Did he honestly care that much? You could never tell with him… I blinked. "It was suddenly freezing outside, and he was just being a saint." I said, waving my hand because it really wasn't a big deal. "He just hugged me, that's all. Tried to keep me warm."

"You let him hug you? Are you that naïve?" Shire gaped in disbelief. "I actually thought you were smarter than that," he sneered. "I swear, one of these days you're going to end up kidnapped and sexually harassed."

Did he just call me stupid and childlike? Who put him in charge of me? I surely didn't. Angered, I crossed my arms and turned my head away. "Well if you're going to act like the jerk you truly are, then this _date_ is cancelled." I stated, shutting my eyes as if he wasn't worthy.

Cat Boy reached his hand out, his face softening for just the slightest second. Then, he dropped his hand and frowned. "Funny, I was thinking the same thing." He said, shaking his head and walking off. His tail, I noticed, remained still and limp. And when he disappeared through the trees, I couldn't help but regret what I said. He was looking out for me… And I just pushed him away. Maybe I should apolo- What am I saying? He's the one who got all stern and insulted me. Forget him. I'm the one who should be storming off, not him.

I've got to admit, Wonderland was a very good exercise for me. You know why? Because I was always walking. There were no cars, scooters, bikes, or motorcycles to get a lift on. Just my own two trustable yet exhausted legs. I was just about ready to collapse when someone tapped my shoulder. I swiftly turned around, greeted by Demetrix and Tarrant. I could use a laugh.

Demetrix furrowed his eyebrows in concern while Tarrant beamed at me in delight. "Ana! Oh, hoho!" he chuckled. "I'm so glad we finally found you."

They were looking for me? I glanced at the two of them, puzzled. "Found me?"

"Yes," Demetrix answered quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I told Tarrant that I wanted you to see the garden that I tend…" he trailed off, feeling a bit shy today, I supposed.

"A garden?" I repeated, my eyes lighting up. "Wow, I'd love to!" Ah, Anastasia Liddell; nature freak.

"Great!" Tarrant chirped, linking arms with me. "Let's go."

As we began to walk, my legs started to shake a bit. Demetrix noticed, because he tapped my shoulder. "You're tired," he pointed out. And with that, his hands when to the back of my knee and my shoulders, flipping me up. He held me in his arms, just like that. I was amazed. Demetrix was a good inch shorter than me, yet he managed to lift my body up and didn't even shake under the weight. Never judge a book by its cover. "You seem hungry too,"

The boy with the green hat gasped and looked at me, concerned. "Oh, dear," he said, shaking his head. "That's terrible. Ana, you'll never starve under our care! We'll get you something delicious."

When we made it to the estate, Demetrix set me down by the table. He reached out for a plate, and Tarrant placed multiple treats on it- including a blueberry muffin, banana bread, home-fries, a chocolate muffin, a Danish, and on the side was a glass of strawberry milk. My mouth watered, and I soon began to munch on everything on the platter. As I gulped down the delectable treats and the sweet milk, Demetrix and Tarrant were staring at me. Oddly enough, I didn't feel self-conscious I was way too preoccupied with filling my cheeks and flushing it down with milk. I might have even let out a few satisfied noises here and there. How embarrassing. When there was nothing but crumbs on my plate, Demetrix's eyes lit up, and he took my wrist. "Ready?"

I nodded, swallowing what was left in my mouth. He escorted me to the signs we met earlier. Like I said before, one said 'T' and one said 'G'. It was now easy to say that 'T' meant the 'Tea Table' and 'G' lead to the 'Garden'. We walked beyond the 'G' sign and was welcomed by two three-foot tall sunflowers. I gaped at it, astonished. I didn't know they could grow that big! Then again, I'm in Wonderland. Anything was possible. As we brushed past those monster flowers, my eyes caught the heart of the garden. Rows and rows of multicolored flowers were everywhere. No, I mean literally, they were everywhere. Growing on the grass, trees, and throughout the greenhouse. My breath was truly taken away.

"There's so much…" I exhaled, stopping to smell every ten flowers I passed. Which was a ton. "How do you take care of all of them?"

Demetrix smiled shyly, moseying ahead of me. "The sky at this garden isn't real. We're actually under a ceiling that projects a realistic-looking sky from our view." He explained, walking over to the center of the garden where a reasonably sized tree stood. There was a few buttons on it. One was yellow, one was blue, and the other was green. "It also releases nourishment and stuff that flowers' need. The yellow one gives them sunlight, the blue one makes it rain, and the green one pours and scatters a set of fertilizer."

"That's amazing," I chirped, gazing at the ceiling above me. It looked so much like the sky, I almost couldn't fathom the truth.

Tarrant clasped his hands together. "Don't worry, it gives us thirty long seconds after we press the button to run away so that we won't get heated, soaked, or covered in muck!"

"That's really smart," I giggled. And that's when Tarrant pressed the blue button. He took my hand and dashed across the garden to the entrance where the ceiling began, where we'd be safe. Demetrix soon made his way over to us, and the ceiling began to drop millions of water droplets. My eyes watched the rain hit the flowers, leaves, stems, and the soil. I clasped my hands together in delight. After about ten seconds, I somehow ended up on my back, lying in the rain. Demetrix and Tarrant were holding my hand and we were all just laughing pleasantly underneath the rain, getting soaked. It was so much fun, and I felt at ease with these guys. They were kind of small, adorable, and just fun to hang out. I loved them. "You guys are great," I said as we gazed up at the leaky ceiling.

"You're fantastic too, Ana!" the Mad Hatter exclaimed in absolute delight.

"This is the most fun I've had in a long time," Demetrix sighed, turning his head to look at me. He smiled and squeezed my hand.

And my heart skipped a beat. Was that a spark? I wasn't quite sure, because the wet grass was so comfortable that…I drifted…off…to sleep…

I awakened kind of unsteady, by body bouncing up and down. I opened my eyes and was staring at someone's chin. Mercy's chin? I poked it then glanced down. That crazy hare was holding me, bridal-style. Maybe I need to start counting how much guys will hold me like that.

Mercy glanced down at me and grinned. "Hi there," he greeted, his words surprisingly not slurred and drawn out.

"Mercy?" I wondered, squinting at his face. "You're _sober_?"

"The hangover is all gone now," He chuckled and set me down. "I saw you sleeping on the hatter's garden and thought I'd pick you up."

I blinked. "Pick me up?" Literally. I stifled a laugh. "So, where are we, exactly?"

Mercy rubbed his chin and peered around. "Uh," he blurted, scratching his head now. "I think we're headed to the Hare House."

"What's that?"

"My home," he specified. "I live in a windmill."

"You don't live with your brother? William?" I questioned, raising a curious eyebrow. Guess they couldn't stand each other so much that they live in separate houses.

"Willie doesn't like me very much," he shrugged, tucking his hands in his khaki pockets. "I don't blame him. I don't make much of a brother. Always drinking away my sorrows. I'm a pretty lame guy, Ana."

I laughed at this, which might have been considered a bit insensitive. Thankfully, Mercy wasn't easily offended like I am. "No way, everyone has problems." I assured him, squeezing his shoulder. "My father always smoked away his sorrows. I think I'd rather know someone who drinks rather than a smoker."

Mercy looked at me from the corner of his eye and smiled. "That shockingly makes me feel better about myself," he chuckled, his hands clasping together. "Thanks, Ana."

I grinned and shrugged my shoulders. No big deal. "Uh, my pleasure?"

"I knew you'd be good-looking, but I never expected someone so nice. I'm not used to people being comfortable around me." The crazy fella sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You're not so bad when you're not slurring your words, Mercy." I assured him.

And he leaned over and pecked my lips, not as long as Aster's, but long enough for me to realize it happened. "I hope I win you over first."

I wasn't completely sure about that. But…

Something was telling me that there was hope for him.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Mm, alright. So, there I was, figuring out this two-hundred-fifty pieced puzzle with Mercy. We were lying on the ground of his windmill home. A few minutes before this, he walked me inside, pointed at his bed and his closet, and then pulled out a puzzle. I found it quite adorable. His home really wasn't much. It was one spacy room that contained a closet, a circular, maroon bed, two windows, a rug, a lamp, and a table with drawers for holding things… Such as a puzzle.

Mercy is shockingly an intelligent fella. I'm not joking- there were only one hundred puzzle pieces left to place in properly. I asked him how long it took him to complete the one-hundred-fifty pieces, and he said he started yesterday…

Yesterday! It blew my mind. I never finished even a fifty-count puzzle in a day, how did he manage? The pieces are the size of a pebble! Anyhoo, he and I were simply trying to solve it. We did this in mostly silence, but every now and then we'd murmur a "good job" or "I got one". Of course, he figured out a majority of it. I did about twenty, give or take a couple. Suddenly, I was becoming attracted to this guy. I guess being smart is attractive. I wouldn't know, I'm average in just about anything you put me in. Except golf, wow I'm horrid at golf.

"How's that?" Mercy asked, leaning back while staring in awe at the completed project. I grinned and gave him a thumbs-up, feeling sheepish because I was daydreaming. "I would've never completed that so soon without your help. Thank, Ana!" he said, beaming at me.

I kind of just smiled at him shyly, the kind of smile you'd give your mom when you almost knock over an antique vase. "I'd never solve these within a week." I croaked.

Bunny Boy's Brother stood up and helped me to my feet. His hands, I noticed, lingered on mine for a bit longer than it should. That sent chills up my spine, and I was blushing. I didn't realize it until Mercy's eyes widened and exclaimed, "Holy hare! Ana, your face is red. Are you feeling alright?"

I blinked and my hands immediately flew to my cheeks. "Ah, hah," I said nervously. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" he asked, reaching a hand out. He seemed so concerned. How touching.

"Absolutely," I exhaled, nodding slowly as our eyes met. This time, his cheeks faded into a faint pink and we both looked away at the same time. "So, uh, what else do you do for fun?"

The unstable teen sat at the edge of his bed, staring at the wall. "Drink," he shrugged, letting out a sigh. "Sleep," he added.

"Exciting," I remarked sarcastically, performing a bit of jazz-hands. "You seem to be lacking a life."

Mercy rolled his eyes playfully and grinned. Now, this wasn't one of Shire's rolling of the eyes, where it was rude, sarcastic, and irritated. It was a cute, non-offending eye roll, but for some reason it put that cat's face in my mind. Why does Shire have such a huge impact on me? "Nah, I like walking too."

"Wow!" I cheered teasingly. "I take it back. You, my friend, are truly living _the_ life."

His eyes widened again. "Friend?" he asked, looking a bit saddened. "We're friends?"

"Uh…" I blurted, taken aback by his sudden sadness. "Well, yes… Is there a problem? Should we not be friends? I like hanging out with you, and you're really fun when you're not wobbly and lost. In your own drunken world." I only said that because he didn't take much things personally.

"Friends is kinda low…" he trailed off, scratching his head.

"Low?" I repeated.

His eyebrows raised. "Well, yes," he replied, tilting his head to the side. "The ranks of relationships go from enemy to acquaintance to pal to friend to buddy to greatest companion to girlfriend and boyfriend to mates to soul mates to bride and groom." He explained, as if it were obvious. "We're only friends?"

"Well what were you hoping for?" I asked, still puzzled. Did he make up those ranks?

"At least?" He stared at the ceiling in order to think of an answer. "Mates," he concluded.

"Mates?" I parroted.

"Mates." He agreed, looking over at me now with a sheep expression on his face.

"You…" I hesitated. "We just met yesterday, and majority of the time we spent together, you've been drunk. The one time I see you sober…" I sighed and gazed down at my lap. "We can't just become mates like that."

"I know," Mercy said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was hoping soon though… Maybe if you spent a lot more time with me, and a lot less time with Shire-"

"Do you know I spent time with Shire?" I interrupted, furrowing my eyebrows. "Have you been spying?" Then it all came to me. Guess how he found me at the garden? He's been watching me, waiting for the perfect moment to sweep me off my feet and take me for his own. Well, okay, that sounds really romantic, but I didn't realize that yet. "Where's my privacy?"

"I-I was just trying to hang out w-with you…" he cut himself off in embarrassment. His face was a bright shade of red. "I'm really sorry. I was desperate. Plus, when we first met… Y-you let me come with you. No one has ever tolerated me in that state. Ever." He murmured. "You even got Willie to be alright with letting me tag along. Do you know how hard that is? Do you know how long I've been trying to get the respect of my brother back?" He stood to his feet furiously. "D-do you know how long?" he cried, pointing at me accusingly. "Ever since we were eight. That's too long! And here you come, and he suddenly allows me to tag along!" He paused and dropping his hand to his sides. "I'm jealous of you, Ana. A feeling I've never experienced before, and it's making me even more confused because I'm apparently in love with you. I thought the curse was a fake, something to make guys blind to ho they really like. But then, when I realized who you really are… Crap, I started falling for you. And you know what? I still like you, but being jealous of you is something I need to get over."

I stared at him in silence, taking this all in. And, trust me, that was a lot to take in. I nodded very slowly and gave him a sympathetic smile. "I-I understand,"

Mercy violently opened the drawers and took out a glass bottle of 'Crazy Eyes'. It was alcohol. He was going to drink again. I just made him distressed for a drink. I felt terrible, and angered that this was how he calmed down. My hands snatched the bottle from his hand and I glared at him. "Don't you dare." But I wasn't fierce enough, because he took it back with great strength and gulped down a good pint. "Ana, I need you to leave," he whispered, facing the wall. His fists were clenched. I didn't move, and he could tell. His right, long brown hare ear twitched. "Get out of here before you get hurt!"

And I bolted out the door in fear of getting hurt. In fear of him.

Of course I ended up bumping into William and Shire. William grinned at me, but Shire was being a bit stubborn, and so he was kind of averting my eyes. Will's grin quickly faded into a look of concern when he spotted me. My hair was a bit disheveled, and fear screamed all over my face. Plus I was running; that had to be suspicious.

"Ana? What happened?" He gaped, looking at me from my toes to my messy hair.

"Yeah, you look terrible," Shire muttered, rolling his eyes.

That boy.

I decided to keep my mouth shut about that remark, and instead turned to Will. "Uh, n-nothing."

Shire groaned and crossed his arms. "You're freakin' scared of something right now," he drawled, as if it were obvious… As if he could read my mind and sense my inner feelings.

Will stepped towards me unsurely. "Is that true?" he asked, his eyes widening. "What happened?"

I blushed and stared down at my feet in shame. "M-mercy…" I trailed off. Admitting that you've been hanging out with someone that the audience really doesn't like is very embarrassing and shameful. Who knew? Embarrassment is a ninja, it sneaks up on you and attacks before you have time to escape!

And that's when the Bunny Boy frowned. "Let me guess, he took you to his windmill and you got him to feel a negative feeling, and he began to drink again."

Shire put a hand on Will's shoulder and pulled him back. "Looks like your brother was sober today," he whispered, then glanced at me uneasily. "He drinks too much. You shouldn't hang out with people like that."

"W-well," I stuttered nervously, lifting my head. "He said I had to leave before I get hurt."

The strangest thing happened as soon as I completed that line. Both Cat and Bunny grimaced and clenched their fists in unison. The looked at each other and nodded. "Did he hurt you?" Bunny asked, while Cat was busy repeating "I'm gonna kill him," over and over again. I found myself waving my arms frantically, like a child who was trying to desperately get another kid in trouble. Except I was trying to get Mercy out of trouble. Shire and William may be beautiful, but they both seem to be able to pack quite the punch. And Mercy is a really decent guy, like seeing that smile in a room full of frowns. "Relax," I told them, sighing. "He didn't hurt me. In fact, he didn't even intend on hurting me. He told me to leave before I could get harmed."

Shire glared at me, "You need to have stronger bones," he sneered. "What kind of men has the potential of hurting a lady?"

"Especially someone like you, Ana," William added.

"He's weak and needs to get over his problems. He put you in danger."

The blond-haired, blue-eyed teen gazed at me, his face softening as if he saw a kitten playing with its mom. "I, I mean, _we_ can't risk you getting hurt," he sighed. "What was he drinking? What was the label?"

I stared up at the sky, trying to remember what the bottle said. It was glass, and had something to do with eyes… Mad Eyes? Mean Eyes? "Oh!" I blurted, looking at my friend once more. "'Crazy Eyes'."

Shire's eyes widened and they gazed over in the direction of where I came. William, on the other hand, was being much more direct with me. "'Crazy Eyes'?" he repeated, biting his lower lip attractively (hey, don't judge me; I call it as I see it). "Ugh, those things contain PF. Polar flowers make people lose their judgment, even their sense of mind and peace." The two of them began to walk down the path I was previously walking from.

"Wait!" I called out, turning around to watch them. "Where are you two going?"

"To teach Mercy how to quit drinkin'," I heard Shire huff.

Will sighed and held his hand up for Shire to halt. He jogged over to me and smiled sadly. "You do realize that if you were to stay in his house for a bit longer, you'd be practically dead by now," he murmured, putting a hand on the side of my face and softly pecking me there. "We can't let that happen anytime soon, now can we?" he asked, smiling lightly.

Shire cleared his throat. "Get off of her," he scoffed, storming over to us. He pulled me away from Bunny Boy and raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" the blond questioned, staring at me.

"Because I'm-" Shire paused and blushed very slightly. "Because we've got some to get rid of. Now take your white paws off of Ana and come with me or else you're going to end up buried in Wonderland's Once Lived with Mercy."

William sighed and brushed past me, glancing at my lips and smiling for a moment- our little private exchange of emotions. Shire waited for him to be a good five feet away, and then pecked me on the cheek, smirking. He was about to comment when William coughed. "Hey, I thought you said no paws on Ana!"

Shire glanced over his shoulder at Will, and then studied my face. "I never had my paws on her," he said loudly. After that, he poked my hand and winked, and they both left.

I feel so weird when Shire teases me, yet I dread it when I watch him walk away.

Can someone tell me why?

AUTHOR'S NOTE/UPDATE

Heyyyyyy fans, readers, and others! Nuggs here. :3 Well, wow! We've come along way here, and so has Ana. So, guess what? I"m open for your ideas on what scenarios can happen in later chapters! Yup, just send me a PM and I"ll consider your thoughts. Also, I'm looking into some new male or female characters I can add in. PM me about the new character's name and description, or maybe even add a little picture in there that I could study, and maybe your made up character will be featured in the series; as a guest star or a PERMANENT character! Oh, the excitement is just sending chills up my spine!

Okay, so I"m only 14...meaning my writing isn't at its fullest quite yet. I"m still learning, so bare with me! :) Thanks for being so supportive and patient!

~Nuggs not Drugs~


	11. Chapter 11

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

FINALLY, CHAPTER ELEVEN IS HERE! So I've decided to put my notes on the top so that it won't interupt my dramatic conclusions to each chapter. I hope this serious is actually funny and meaningful to you guys...please please expression your opinions, whether negative or positive, about how the story is going. The characters are surely developing, and there are more to come. ;3 Please remember that I have school, so my posting won't be so often. Thankfully, I've been able to post a chapter a week, and it's been doing fine. Actually, the time between chapters is only about, at most, four days. So, I've been doing pretty well. This chapter involves a lot of connections and the thought process of Ana's brain. It's one of those more deep and meaningful chapters, so I really hope it speaks to you and makes you view her a bit more seriously despite the fact that she's a very emotional and hopefully amusing teenage girl.

I love you, audience! ^-^

~Nuggs Not Drugs~

Chapter 11

I'm pretty angry right now. Can you guess why? Doesn't matter whether you guess or not because I'm going to tell you why I'm so angry. First of all, Shire is being way too bipolar for me. I'm not trying to be offensive to anyone, of course, but it's ridiculous. Here I am, trying to figure my way out of Wonderland while Cat Boy is busy playing with my emotions. Second of all, I have no idea where I could find Aster Sage in this maze they call their country. I feel so foreign. Third, everything is becoming so dramatic. My life was so simple before I fell down that hole. Do I regret falling in? Well…Gosh I don't know about that. I've met so much fun people, and even though I can't stand Shire, I still enjoy his company. A part of me wishes that all of this isn't some crazy dream of mine- I want to know that this is all real. That Aster is real. That Demetrix, Tarrant, and Absolem are real. Even Tannyn and Halil, the two boys I just happened to meet not too long ago. Heck, I even want Shire to not be a figment of my imagination.

Imagine that you're me; you're living a normal, average Joe life when you suddenly fall into a hole that is as deep as who knows what. Then, you meet all kinds of people- literally! Hot, sexy, attractive, cute guys that all are somewhat attracted to you. Here's the catch, half of them aren't HUMAN! Mercy and William with their long ears and short tails. Shire with his fluffy tail and cat ears that drive me crazy! Tarrant and Demetrix's garden! Don't get me started on Aster and his love of flowers (and his disregard of the flower girls). Absolem's personality is actually appealing to me. It's similar to Shire's, except Absolem doesn't directly scoff at me. Then there's Halil and Tannyn, the two young men I recently met. So far, they're kind of on the shy side, but I'd love to know more about them. Well, I sort of hoped that Tannyn would show me the time gears and maybe let me try. I also really wanted to chat with Halil again, but the odds of that aren't so high in my favor. He's the Queen's _personal_ guard. So he's at the castle right now, by her thrown, listening to her problems and having to follow her every move. The Yellow Shield was actually charming in my opinion, respecting his line of work that he hesitated to reply to me, even when we were outside the actual kingdom. Hmm, I'm not aware of where Tannyn is, but I'm as positive as pie that Halil is within the kingdom walls. Plus, the Queen adores me! I'm always welcomed within those walls, right?

When I made it to the outside of Heart Kingdom, the same twin masked guards were protecting the door. I waved at them shyly and they nodded. They recognized me. The doors creaked open and I thanked them, walking inside faster than a dog chasing a mailman. Yeah, that fast.

While passing by the marketplace, I took my time. The village was as cute as always. The paved paths and the color-themed homes and small buildings. Fruits of all sorts of colors were being sold by this hairy man with sunglasses on. They reminded me of how I used to cram my crayons into its box- dense and rainbow-like. He held up an orange in front of my face and grinned. "Free orange for the beautiful Anastasia!" he exclaimed, dropping it into my cupped hands. I smiled and blushed politely, thanking him and scurrying past. Wow, even the unimportant characters here know of me! It was a tad creepy, but all the while entertaining.

I wondered past a couple more stands, watching the delectable treats inch past. I heard all sorts of conversations from the locals. The women, children, and men, and elders were all quite friendly. But that's how every village starts. I was sure that, when the time came, all of them were ugly. I'm not saying this as an insult, like I'm going to be disgusted by their smiling faces. No, nothing like that. One young teenage boy, looking about fifteen years old, beamed at the sight of me. He had a rough look to him, as if he has been hard at work in a mine.

"Hey," he greeted, tilting his head to the side to study my face. He was a little out of breath considering he sprinted over to me.

"Hello," I replied, copying his head movement.

We both let out a light laugh, and then he spoke up again. "I've never seen you around here before," the teen noted, tucking his mucky hands in the pockets of his loosely fit denim pants. "Are you from the outskirts or something?"

"Oh, right," I blurted stupidly. "Yeah, I'm not a local here."

"Mmm," he hummed happily. "I can tell."

I blinked and raised an eyebrow playfully. "You can?"

"Of course," He grinned and gazed at my dress for a bit too long. "You surely dress better than all of the villagers combined. Have you seen my mom?"

I blushed and glanced down at my dress self-consciously. "Oh, yeah?"

"Do you not see the get-up I'm in?" he asked, amused. "These denims are three sizes too big."

"Then why did you get them?"

"My family isn't very wealthy. Actually, most people in Heart Kingdom are second class or lower. We run a farm not too far from here. It's a modest place, about four miles away from the actual village. It's real nice."

"I bet," I agreed, nodding. "Do you have animals?"

"Definitely, they're my favorite part of working on a farm!" he exclaimed happily. "Yeah, so, anyway, my pants: I got them from my dad when he passed away last month. I use them all the time for tilling and tending the livestock. It's a load of fun, milking the cows and collecting the eggs of the chickens, petting the sheep and feeling its soft wool, and feeding our three dogs… Dad used to help me out because my mom is typically busy with payments and shipping things."

My eyes widened and I shook my head sadly. "My dad passed away last month too," It was all I could say.

Farm Boy reached a hesitant hand out. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay, though?"

I nodded slowly, rubbing the back of my neck. "Yeah, I'm fine. It was hard for me and my mother to get used to life without him, but we're alright."

"That's real good," the boy concluded thoughtfully. He looked over his shoulder and then studied my face. "My name is Stevie. What's yours?"

He actually didn't know my name? Okay, that sounded very cocky and conceited of me, but I don't mean it like that. I figured he'd know my name or at least recognize who I was. The hairy man who donated that 'orange' to me knew who I am. "Anastasia Liddell," I answered shortly. I started to juggle the one piece of fruit in my left hand to my right hand. "Nice to meet you, Stevie."

He blushed and flicked his hand, "The pleasure is all mine," he chuckled. "Alright, well, I'll see you around?" he asked, squinting at something beyond me. I didn't bother to look back and follow his gaze, instead, I grinned. I was kind of relieved that he didn't know a thing about me; that he was ignorant of who I am to Wonderland's single male's population. I assume he's not sure who I am because he was a country boy- and not much folks on the farm get updated on the latest news. He stared at my orange and smiled.

For some reason, I pulled through my urge to hug him. But that didn't last long, because I ended up enveloping him in a friendly, warm embrace. Funny thing is, it took him no time to hug me back. The moment lasted for a nice ten seconds, and I loved every second of it. Stevie was an average looking boy once you get passed the rough outfit. He looked as down-to-earth as a blade of grass. Literally, his 'denims' (need to learn Wonderland slang, right?) were covered in dirt and questionable stains. I wasn't even disgusted- I respected a hardworking guy like him. "We will definitely meet again and talk some more," Stevie said, his confidence boosted a bit. I grinned and waved at him as he jogged away. He stared at me until he turned the corner and we couldn't see each other anymore.

A little girl and boy skipped past me as a mutt (this isn't being used as an offensive term, guys) was tailing me. I blinked and stared down at the puppy. Maybe that was the figure Stevie was staring at behind me? Ah, it wanted my orange. I could tell by the way it was sitting on its hind legs and reaching its paw out every couple seconds, whimpering. I kneeled down and jammed my thumb through the orange, peeling it. Okay, so it wasn't an orange like I stupidly thought. It was a tangerine considering I could peel it with ease. Oranges would take much more strength. That's when I concluded that Wonderland only has one name for fruits that were orange-colored- and that name is 'orange'. I guess you need to be more observant here, because you may end up purchasing a lemon when someone tells you it's a yellow. I stifled a laugh as I pulled a slice off the fruit, hovering my hand in front of the spotted dog's mouth. It leaned its head forward, gently nipping the edge of the fruit slice and swallowed it. My heart melted since that street dog just made sure not to hurt me. Am I becoming soft? Not really, I've always been like this. My mom always told me I needed to man up every now and then, it's why I stick up for myself. I got my stubbornness and irritability from her.

And that's when my eyes watered, tears leaking out like a river seeping through a crack in a dam. I miss my mom terribly. We left on a really bad note. Last time she addressed me directly was when she told me to leave. I guess she got her wish. Being on my own for the last day has been a bit overwhelming. I don't have a place to call my own, here. Do I even want to live in Wonderland? I have a life back home. I had my circle of friends at my Catholic school. Sure, it was all girls, but there was a Catholic boy school that partnered with our school. Meaning the only thing separating our buildings was a fence. Yup, that's right, our schools were right next to each other. That way, it'll be easier for the dances, socials, homecomings, and proms because it won't be such a hassle attending those outing. I bet you're wondering if there was someone special at that boy school… Well, there was. His name was Matthew Stevenson, and he was my best friend. During lunch, he and I would eat outside together, chatting about whatever the heck we wanted.

To clear some more things up: yes, we kissed. Twice, I believe. One at the dance (he asked me to go) at his school, and at the dance (he asked if he could go with me) at my own school. I sometimes went over to his house to study and play with his dog, Rusty. We'd go on bike rides to and from school, ate at fast food restaurants, and occasionally laid next to each other in the grass of the meadow by Wish Pond, holding hands and elaborating on the clouds' shapes.

And that's when I began to cry even harder; the river was now under enough pressure that it was tearing down the dam. I missed Matthew. Will I ever get to see him or my mother ever again? Will I ever get to see my blessed aunts ever again? I might not even be able to celebrate my birthday with the rest of everyone else. I sat there on my knees, sniffling and silently whimpering- just like the dog I was previously feeding. He was still there, nuzzling my arm now. Oh, right, dogs can sense this kind of stuff. I smiled weakly as I reached a hand out to pet his furry head, my hand and lip trembling. I slumped my shoulders and let out a cough. "D-do you miss your mommy too?" I croaked, stroking his rough fur.

Someone's hand squeezed my shoulder, and I jumped. My dog friend backed a few steps while the figure who startled me frowned. It was Halil. He pulled me to my feet and bowed his head. I stared at him and quickly wiped my face from the salty tears. Unable to speak, especially with people around, the Yellow Shield pressed his lips against my temple comfortingly, and I closed my eyes. When I opened them, I observed him holding my wrist and escorting me in the direction of the castle. My tears managed to dry on my face.

"I miss mine too," Halil said very quietly so that only I could hear. We exchanged a shy smile.

The skinny dog scrambled behind me, following and wagging his long tail.

My two dear friends.


	12. Chapter 12

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Helloooo! Welcome to part 12! Okay, Chapter 12. So, the last chapter was a more deep section of Ana, where she reflects her past and shows her vulnerability. This chapter is going a bit back to the normal wave of things. Watch out for any connections with Ana's past and Wonderland! ^-^ I appreciate how supportive and emotionally attached my readers get to their favored characters. It makes me feel like I"m doing a good job. :3 Thank you for staying tuned and being patient with my fanfiction, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 12

Halil was quiet for the rest of the trip, while the mutt yipped happily, trailing close behind. I was a bit shocked to find that the street dog chose me to be loyal to, so I decided to call him as my own. His name? Rusty. He was something that reminded me of home. The only thing that reminded me of home, actually. We strolled into the kitchen of the castle. Halil positioned me onto a seat and stood beside me. Rusty jumped onto my lap and stuck his nose in the air, the sweet aromas intoxicating his sniffer. After a few minutes, a maid in a red and black French maid's dress bowed to me.

"Miss Ana, rumor has it you need a place to stay." She said, her voice light and uneasy, as if she were always being watched. "I've prepared a chamber for you and your pet. My Queen doesn't mind at all that you stay here."

I smiled and tilted my head to the side. How'd they know? Then again, it seems like everyone knows everything around here. Except for Stevie, but he was different. I kinda liked it. "Oh, that's great! Thanks!" I said, standing to my feet and supporting Rusty in my arms. "After I find my room, can I wash my dog somewhere? Is there a place for that?"

Halil's eyes lit up and he took Rusty from my hands and into his own, nodding his head.

"The Yellow Shield will take care of that for you." The lady said, beaming politely. "Let's go,"

After walking down a couple corridors and traveling up two flights of grand staircases, we entered my 'chambers'. I looked around in shock. Okay, it wasn't a shocker that the room was going to be elegant, but it was just so fancy. My hands glided over the lush bed. It had a canopy. A canopy! The room was red and black themed, as usual. There was a grandfather clock in the corner of the chamber, and two portraits of the queen when she was skinny. The dresser was a beautiful white color, and had a mirror the side of my television back home on top of it. I glanced at my reflection. The Aster Sage dress was lovely as always. The walls were a deep red, and the bed was a solid black. The pillows were patterned in hearts, and beside the bed was a little miniature bed. It looked exactly like this black bed, except mini.

"For the dog," the maid clarified shyly.

I nodded and grinned at her, then stared at the canopy. It was a dark shade of red. Wow, this Kingdom really sticks with their theme. I love it. There was even a fish tank on the wall with fantastic blue water and a couple black-and-red polka-dotted fishies. I'll be sure to actually remember to feed them. On the nightstand were a puzzle and a deck of cards. They both seemed oddly familiar in a sense, but at the time, I couldn't put my finger on it. I sat on the edge of my bed and sighed happily. "That'll do, ma'am." I said softly, then turned to face her. "What's your name?"

"U-uh," the maid blushed, stuttering and tripping over her words. "J-just call m-me the help. Y-you don't n-need to be f-formal with me, Miss Ana."

"Neither do you," I shrugged. "Call me Ana. Now, what should I call you?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"What is your name?" I repeated.

"Oh!" she blurted, shaking her head of black curls. "My name is Clarisse."

"Cool," I said, nodding. I waved her away politely. "I don't need any more help, Clare. I'll be alright. Thanks so much!" I squeaked, taking my shoes off and plopping them in the corner of them room. I walked past her and exited my chambers. I love saying that. My chambers. I skipped down the hallways, but stopped suddenly when I heard barking. Rusty? I turned around and took a few steps forward, peeking into a room. It was a cozy bathroom. The bath tub was a light red, and it was shiny. Why am I pointing out just the bath tub? Because Halil was kneeling beside it, struggling to get Rusty to stay still in the tub to clean him. I giggled and the Yellow Shield jumped, turning around cautiously. As I walked into the small room, I shut the door behind me and fell to my kneels, squatting beside him.

He smiled sheepishly, gesturing to the desperate mutt in his hands. I reached for the sponge and stroked it against Rusty's fur. "Rusty, it's alright." I snickered, winking at Halil.

Halil blushed and patted the top of my dog's head.

Rusty's tail wagged at the sight of me, yipping happily and splashing around. Bubbles began to hover about us, and he tried to eat one. Halil and I exchanged expressions and began to laugh. Once we rinsed the puppy off and dried it with a towel, the soldier tapped my shoulder. As soon as I turned to face him, he leaned forward and kissed my cheek.

And, wow, I kissed him back. On the cheek, of course. Then, I realized what I did, and immediately started blushing. "Um," I blurted, scrambling to my feet. "When do you go on break?" I croaked awkwardly.

Halil coughed and put his hands behind his back, his lips parting slightly as if he were about to speak. He simply shook his head. It wasn't safe to talk in here; we both knew it.

"I'm sorry." I apologized, hesitating to open the door. "I shouldn't pressure you like that." I whispered.

He furrowed his eyebrows and shrugged. "It's okay. I like talking to you." He said in an extremely low voice.

My eyes lit up and I squeezed the doorknob. "We should find a place to talk…" I trailed off.

He nodded and smiled.

"Tonight." We said at the same time. I let out a giggle as I pulled the door open. Rusty scampered out the room and we followed him. It was the perfect moment to hold hands, but we didn't considering all the hustle and bustle of the Queen's workers. They all were frantically neatening things up. As my friends guided me down the hallway. I heard the voice of an angel. "Anastasia," I heard him call out. I turned around excitedly.

Aster Sage. The one who pleases my eye. I ran over to him and wrapped my arms around him. "It's nice to see you again," I murmured.

The young man chuckled, and patted my back, returning the hug. "The feeling is mutual, my darling." I blushed and pulled back as he stared at Halil. "Who is _he_? Why are you with a Yellow Shield?"

I blinked and gestured over to Halil. "Oh, he's my friend. He's just walking me to my chambers." I explained, getting a bit too giddy at the thought of having my own womanly chambers. "He may be the silent type, but he's really lovely!" I checked over my shoulder and, as expected, Halil was blushing. Cute.

"That's good." Aster Sage said in an unconvincing tone. "Well, the flowers and I are really off schedule. You and I can't have that date today."

"Aw…" I whined. "What happened? Maybe I could help?"

"Oh, no. A girl like you can't be caught doing this kind of work," he chuckled, shaking his head. "No, we'll just need to reschedule. Someone stole the fabric for that dress. We need to head to Spade Kingdom's marketplace. They have the highest quality material, you know."

I gaped. There are other kingdoms? "Spade Kingdom?" I repeated in fascination. "How far is that?"

"Gosh, it's about a half a day's journey to get there. And a half a day's journey to get back. If we're not caught up in traveler traffic, that is." He sighed, tucking his hands in his pockets. "We might not be able to chat much, Anastasia. I'm not too happy about that."

"Me neither," I replied, shrugging my shoulders. "But that's reality, and work is work, after all. Finish up your job and maybe then we can hang out after!" Why was I taking this rejection so well?

He grinned and nodded, thankful. "You're so understanding. Thank you," Aster commented, taking my hand and gently kissing it. "I'm so sorry about the inconvenience. We'll talk again, soon." He assured me, kissing me on either side of my face and striding away.

When I turned around, Halil was gone, and so was Rusty. I frowned. Darn. He must have lost interest in our conversation and walked off to do some real work. He must have dropped off Rusty in my room, though, so that's where I headed first. I opened the door and dived onto the canopy bed. My dog was panting and running around the room. And a shadow suddenly came over me. I squeaked and fell off the bed, startled. Halil's eyes widened and he helped me stand to my feet. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice not heard at all. I was just simply reading his lips…and his facial expression.

I giggled and shrugged it off, flustered. "That's okay," My hand was on my heart, catching my breath. "I'm just a bit jumpy. Not your fault." He chuckled after I said that, squeezing my hand and letting go. "Why'd you leave?"

Halil was quiet at that point, biting his lips and thinking over his words. I raised an eyebrow. Was that a trick question? He looked at me shyly and shrugged.

"So you just left?"

He shrugged again and stared at my dog.

I sighed and patted his shoulder. "Just remember, you can tell me anything. You're my dear friend." I said with a grin. Very clever, Ana, very clever. Soldier Boy even chuckled at this, rustling his hair back. I loved the fact that I could see his face, unlike the high ranked soldiers who were masked. His red eyes and short black hair were perfect. And when he smiled, it crinkled a bit. I found it very cute. I sat on the edge of the bed and he sat beside me immediately. His hand found its way to my knee and squeezed reassuringly. "Do you every have breaks?"

He shook his head and I sighed. "I'm so sorry. Did you have a choice in your occupation?"

He shook his head again.

"Any friends?" I asked. He was about to complete a nod when I specified the question. "Besides me, Halil."

He shook his head once more.

"I'm so sorry," I croaked, wrapping my arms around him in a hug. "That's terrible,"

He nodded and patted my arm in silence. After holding that comfortable position for a good thirty seconds, we pulled away.

And our lips met.

And as I pulled away an inch to gaze at him, the maid from earlier walked in and gasped. Halil and I jumped to our feet and turned an amazing shade of crimson. Clarisse blushed and bowed her head. "Oh, gosh! I'm so sorry, Miss Ana!" she cried, entering the room and shutting the door. "I didn't know you and the Yellow Shield were having an affair!"

I blushed and waved my arms frantically. "W-we're not having an affair, Clarisse!" I exclaimed, averting Halil's eyes. "I didn't mean to… I mean this wasn't planned… It kinda just happened!"

"I won't tell anyone," Clarisse giggled, taking my hands in hers excitedly. Now that I think about it, Clare looked as young as the Queen. "I promise! This is so cute!"

"It's not cute. Nothing's cute. There was no affair!" I laughed.

"Were you two not just kissing, Miss Ana?" she asked, her eyes widening.

"No! I mean, yes we were kissing!" I cried out, giggling like a schoolgirl. "But we're not dating or anything! We're just friends, Clare!"

"Whatever you say, Miss." Clare said with a wink, letting go of my hands. When we glanced around, Halil wasn't in the room again, and Rusty was lying on my bed. We stared at each other and then gazed at the door.

Halil was gone.

Again.


	13. Chapter 13

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Hello fans and readers and animal-lovers! How's the Shire fan club? xDD Okay, I know there are some people who have swooned over William and Halil, and even a couple of Mercy sympathisers (you know if it's you, we PMed.), a majority of y'all are Shire fans! EVERYBODY, WELCOME TO CHAPTER 13! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT WE'VE MADE IT THIS FAR? Thanks for being amazing and giving great critiques, and I love love love hearing more from you. Please recommend this to your friends if its worthy to ge recognized as a good read! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE post your comments- I love them all. I love seeing who you like as a character. I love seeing you thoughts and opinions on Ana's personality. I like seeing you fangirl over particular guy characters. I like your comments. I LOVE YOUR COMMENTS. PLEASE, OH, PLEASE BE A DOLL AND COMMENT!

Chapter 13

Clare and I chatted for about another half hour. We were really just talking about our life. She asked me millions of questions about my life back home, and I asked her tons of questions about her job. Apparently she's been working for the Queen as a maid since she was twelve years old. Six years? Impressive. I told her my job was just scooping ice-cream behind a counter. Extremely easy compared to hers. We laughed about this and that, and at some point, the topic of boys popped up.

"So what kind of boys do you prefer?" the maid asked, shifting her weight as she awkwardly stood there.

I smiled and patted the spot beside me on the bed. She didn't need to be so formal. She could sit down in my presence. The thought was very flattering, though. "Hey, you can sit Clare." I told her.

She blushed and shook her head shyly. "That won't be necessary, Miss Ana. I'll stay right here."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. I could so tell she wanted to sit down. Plus, she looked awkward just standing there. "Sit down. That's an order." I said with a wink.

Clarisse giggled and slowly lowered herself onto the bed, sitting at the edge. She cleared her throat. "T-thank you, Miss Ana." She coughed. "S-so, anyways, the question…?"

"Oh, right!" I blurted, nodding my head. "I'm not really sure. There are lots of qualities I like-"

"I know! L-like brooding and mischievous!"

"Exactly, brooding and- Hey!" I blinked and raised an eyebrow. "Where did that come from?"

Clare giggled cutely, patting down the wrinkles on her uniform. "Well, gosh, I… When I ran to the kingdom edges to collect some flowers, I was on my break, by the way. I spotted you not too far. You were talking to that boy with the fluffy tail." She murmured, blushing. "The way you to looked at each other…it felt like it was right out of a romance novel, Miss Ana…"

My eyes widened and I felt my cheeks rise in temperature. "S-shire? Hah, no way. No how. He doesn't look at me like that…" I trailed off. Did he look at me like that?

The eighteen-year-old nodded quickly, standing to her feet. "You two would make a r-really nice couple, if you don't mind me saying! But I think you and Halil are really lovely. You both seemed to be caught up in that kiss…"

I gasped and stood to my feet as well. "W-what? No way!" I repeated, flustered. "We only kissed for, maybe, a couple seconds…?"

The maid shrugged and inched her way to the door. "Whatever you say, Miss Ana. I need to finish cleaning up kitchen with the others. If you see Halil again, tell me e-everything," she whispered softly, waving her hand and curtseying. She then turned the knob and swiftly exited the room.

I couldn't find the words to respond to that. What did she mean when she said Shire and I gazed at each other like a couple would in a romance? Do we do that? I never noticed… Sometimes, though, he cuts himself off when he's about to say something remotely sweet… Does that mean something?

What am I thinking? Of course it doesn't mean anything! Get a hold of yourself, Anastasia! Grow up and get over all these boys. At home, your best friend is waiting for you to come to school and have lunch with him and hold hands while we watch the clouds. And maybe even kiss at another dance…Does Wonderland have dances? If so, would Shire want to come with…

I need some air. I flung myself off the bed and whistled at Rusty. We left the room in a hustle, scurrying down the hallway and down the grand staircases. Once we were completely outside of the castle, I sniffed the air and gave a sigh of relief. "Relax," I huffed to myself, jogging down the Heart Kingdom paths. I accidentally bumped into a couple of pedestrians, distracted by my confused thoughts. Clarisse is definitely one of my new friends, and part of me is elated I actually have a female, human friend rather than an emotionally unstable, male bud. She was very sweet and kindhearted, and very passionate about her job. So passionate that she was frightened to let loose and just relax for a bit. I respected that. If I was under as much pressure at her, I'm sure I'll take my job more seriously. Then again, if she makes a mistake, who knows what the Queen will do!

I shuddered and brushed past Stevie and- I brushed past Stevie! Alarmed and elated, I whipped my head around and grinned.

The farmer boy was a bit unfocused, something zooming through his mind. "Oh… Oh! Hey, Annie!"

I poked his shoulder. "It's Ana."

He blushed and shook his head, awakening from his little trance. "Dang, I'm real sorry! I really meant Ana! I memorized your name as soon as you told me!" he explained quickly, glancing around the red-brick streets. "I'm just really distracted. My family farm, Livestock Farm, is missing one of our livestock! Tell me if you see a stray animal running loose, please." He said, shifting uncomfortably. "Sorry, we invest a lot of money into our animals, and when there's one on the move, we need to find it immediately."

I nodded quickly. "I'll keep in mind of that!" I said, beginning to jog away. Sure, I wanted to keep chatting with my new farm friend, but he needed to complete a task, and I didn't want to be in the way of that. What happened to that 'orange' I was holding earlier? Hm. Ah, well.

As I approached a stand in the marketplace that seemed to be selling some cloth and clothing pieces, I noticed the back of someone's head. No, it wasn't abnormal or anything, it just seemed familiar. I brushed past him, unaware that I caught his attention. Whoever it was, he looked cute. At least from behind. I reached forward silently, studying a salmon cloth. It was a really nice color, like a soft pink. Almost wishy-washy. I stifled a laugh at my thought process, rubbing my fingers against the fabric. It was silky. I placed it on my arm to check if the color washed off my skin tone.

"Blue looks much better on you, Ana." A voice said shyly, holding up a long piece of royal blue cloth in front of his face. I grinned and playfully snatched it out of his hands. Demetrix. I knew it. He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Fancy seeing you here. I wasn't expecting this, though. Why'd you leave the estate? Weren't you having fun…? I could try harder, if you like…" he trailed off, blushing a tad.

I rolled my eyes and beamed at him. "No, I had a blast, Demetrix!" I assured him, holding the cloth to my arm and smiling approvingly. He seemed to agree.

"Oh?" he blurted, not convinced. "Because we fell asleep under the rain, and when I woke up, you and Tarrant were gone."

"Right! That's because Mercy-" I cut myself off right there. Tarrant was missing too? What the heck? "Where was Tarrant? Did you find him?"

Demetrix shook his head. "Nope, but I'm kinda used to him running off every now and then. So… You were saying…? About Mercy….?"

"Uh," I hesitated. Was Tarrant alright? "Yeah, Mercy kind of abducted me. But no problem, I had fun while it lasted."

"Fun?" Demetrix repeated, his face softening a bit, like a kid who didn't get that toy they wanted.

I coughed awkwardly into my elbow, blushing. "We just worked on a puzzle and chatted. But I left early and- uh, came to the kingdom to visit a friend."

Demetrix chuckled, looking rather relieved. He resembled what my friend Darby does when she tripped in front of him, but he didn't notice. "Look at you go, Ana." He said, stifling a yawn. "Barely a full day in Wonderland and you already have friends to _visit_. You must've been very popular back home."

I shrugged. "Nah, not really."

"You're just being modest."

"Well, I had my circle of friends, if that's what you mean."

"How about any best friends?"

"Yeah…" I trailed off, sniffling. Rusty nuzzled my calf awkwardly, and I smiled down at my loyal companion. "I did. He was really cool."

"Having a best friend is cool," Demetrix agreed, taking the cloth from my hand and giving the stand-owner three silver coins. "Here, this is for you. Maybe Aster can sew up a dress for you. I'll pay for that too."

I smiled, "That won't be necessary." I laughed, slowly acquiring the blue fabric. For some reason, I had a feeling that Aster won't make me pay for a new outfit. "So do you have any best pals?"

The sleepy boy tilted his head to the side, thinking this over carefully. "I guess. Tarrant is a good friend of mine. He's funny." Weird. I've never seen Demetrix laugh at Tarrant's eagerness or bad jokes. "I see you have a companion too?" he asked, pointing at the mutt by my foot. "What's his name?"

Rusty yipped when I reached down to pet him. "His name is Rusty,"

"Rusty? Isn't that kind of…offending?" he chuckled.

I giggled and straightened. "It was the name of my best friend's dog. Thought it'd be sweet to name mine after his, you know?"

"Sure,"

"Yeah, so…" I trailed off, tucking the blue fabric in my dress pockets. I love pockets. They come in handy.

"I better go find Tarrant," Demetrix said, halting the sudden silence. I didn't realize we were standing in quietness until he interrupted it. Thank the Queen. "And the garden needs fertilizing." He whispered, pacing away. He stopped midway and turned his head over his shoulder. And that's when I realized the teen had an extremely skinny tail coming out of his pants. How come I've never noticed that before? Did he tuck it in? Maybe he was ashamed of his mouse tail. Maybe it wasn't even a mouse tail… Maybe it was a rat tail! "Drop by and visit any time, please?" he wondered.

Nah, a rat tail would be much thicker. I need to stop elaborating on everything. "Absolutely," I called out, waving my fingers at him. He smiled and sprinted away. Rusty pawed by foot curiously, and I gently nudged his nose with my foot. He sneezed and shook his head. I giggled and whistled for him, and we paced down the brick road beyond the gates. One day I will make sure to pay a visit to Stevie's farm. It'll be a cool experience. And I must get back to Halil at some point and chat some more, especially now that he disappeared on me. What did that mean? Did I upset him? Was I being insensitive again? Why do I keep doing that to people? I'm such a sensitive and easily-offended teenager, yet I have a strange tendency to get people upset and possibly even hurt their feelings. It's terrible, it really is. I'd like it to stop.

When I decided to actually pay attention to where I was going, I realized that where I was going wasn't exactly where I intended on going. Yes, I abused a word in that sentence, but at the time, I was too panicked to find the flaws in my narration. This definitely wasn't that pretty, enchanted-like forest anymore. All the emerald trees and chestnut bark were leafless and obsidian. The sky was no long bright and cheery, it was dark and dull. And creepy. The branches looked as if they were reaching towards me, almost in need of a hug. Oddly enough, I kind of wanted to hug them. I'm such a nature freak. There was barely any grass in sight, and the ones that were in sight were dead and as dark as the trees. Stones and rocks made up for the lack of grass; I felt the crunch beneath my slippers as I paced forward. I glanced around my foot to see if Rusty was alright, but, with my luck, he wasn't alright. I'm serious, he was nowhere in sight! I lost my new companion already! I'm so careless. I raised my dress and began to run to the left, screaming and hollering "Rusty!" over and over again.

What did I end up finding? The opposite of Rusty: an overgrown kitty boy named Shire. I blinked, the darkness only allowing me to see the silhouette of his body (including ears and tail), and his bright eyes that reflected light. Yup, they were glowing. I knew he could see me, though, considering cats can see much better than humans in the dark. I rubbed the back of my neck. "Uh, hey! W-what're you doing here?" I asked.

It wasn't until Shire put a steady hand on my shoulder that I discovered my trembling. My body was shivering all over. Was I really that scared, because this was all sub-conscious. I had no control over it. "Is this thing yours?" he asked, the slit pupils of his eyes traveling down to what I assumed to be his chest. I squinted in the dim lighting, reaching a finger forward to touch whatever it was Shire was hinting at. The soft fur under my tips seemed familiar.

"You found Rusty," I exhaled, taking the small dog from Shire's arm and bowing my head in appreciation. "Thanks," I placed Rusty on the ground and nodded at him, then glanced at Cat Boy. "What're you doing here?"

"Honesty, I saw you walking aimlessly. Thought it was funny." Shire chuckled, "But then you started to wander into Wonderland's Once Lived. This forest is where all the dead residents rest, Ana."

I gasped and peered around. "No wonder I felt so panicked in here. It's as creepy as it looks! But why did you actually follow me in?" I hesitated and shut my eyes for a few seconds, taking a deep breath. "Shire… About earlier today… I really didn't mean that I said. You're not actually a jerk, I was just m-"

Shire's eyes were half-closed now, and I could tell he was grinning. The hot, Cheshire grin.

"Let's just get you out of here."

And at that point, I knew I was forgiven.


	14. Chapter 14

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Hey. Sorry this one took so long, I had lots of plans for what's coming next! Stay tuned, and enjoy the chapter. PLEASE REVIEW!

Chapter 14

So somehow Shire and I ended up holding hands. Strange right? We were simply walking along the obsidian cemetery (which, oddly enough, has no gravestones anywhere!), and I told him I was a bit scared of this place. He chuckled and took my hand swiftly, asking if I was afraid of the dark. Of course, I blushed and shrugged my shoulders. "Maybe a little."

"I'm not scared of the dark," Shire stated.

I rolled my eyes and smiled and at, our hands beginning to swing. This was not of my doing- it was all Shire. "Well that's because you can see anything. Walking around at night is a breeze for you! Me on the other hand… All I see is silhouettes of stuff and your piercing, flashlight eyes!"

His hand squeezed my hand a bit, causing me to shiver. "It's a gift," he joked. "Yeah, being a cat guy thing does have its ups." He agreed, his hand going to his hip… Which I recently learned wasn't actually a real hip. I felt sorry for him. "But it has its downs too."

"Like what?" I asked, my eyebrows arching like a rainbow.

He shrugged and kicked his leg out. "My tail seems to get caught on things." He laughed as I tripped over his extended foot. I face planted onto the ground and moaned in despair. "Wow, you were right. Humans can't see a damn thing out here."

I murmured nothingness to myself as I stumbled to my knees. He reached out a hand, testing his luck. I gave in, taking my hand in his. And I pulled him to the ground as well. We both laughed, lying beside each other underneath the night sky. "Guess I'm not as agile as I thought." He snickered. I grinned and stared up at the heavens. "Wait a second…" I muttered. "How is it night time? It was barely the afternoon when I left the kingdom!"

Shire tsk-ed and sat up. "You still haven't learned? Every part of Wonderland has its own time frame." He stated, as if it were obvious. Yeah, right. "Wonderland's Once Lived is always dark and creepy."

"Oh? Like Tarrant's is always bright and partly cloudy?" I wondered, happy to add on.

He rolled his eyes and flicked something off his shoulder. "Whatever. Anyways, here, it's always ten thirty at night. Pitch black, a few stars here and there. But always that time."

"Like how at Tarrant's estate it's always sixish?"

He jabbed my stomach with two fingers and I crunched up in pain. "Quit talking about the Madhatter." He scoffed.

I made a face as I sat up, looking at him. "Why do you hate him so much? He's so kind and easygoing and a boatload of fun!" I cried. Okay, I know that was a cheesy phrase, but back home, Matthew and I always said cheesy things to make each other laugh. We loved using clichés and abused phrases. It was funny. At least, we thought it was.

Cat Boy closed his eyes. "All our problems start with that freak." He whispered softly, staring down at what I thought to be either his feet, or two large rocks. I'm going to take a wild guess here and assume it was his feet.

"_Our_?" I repeated to myself, trying to process this. "Who does that include?"

"Everyone, I guess." He sighed, finally deciding to make eye contact with me. We looked away after a few seconds, though, because it's really deep and awkward to gaze into someone's eyes for too long- even if their eyes were spectacular.

"How could cute, little Tarrant cause _any_ problems?" I cried, waving my arms overdramatically. Yes, I'm a bit animated. "He has no bad intentions."

"Yeah, but he's an idiot. He never thinks about the consequences." Shire huffed, studying my face again. I don't like it when he looks at me like that. No, it was cute, don't get me wrong. I just feel sub-conscious and insecure when he stares at me like that. What's there to stare at? When's the last time I took a shower?! "He's the reason why time in Wonderland is so unba-"

"Shire?" A faint voice squeaked. I'm used to hearing random voices and meeting new guys, but the catch with this one was that this guy wasn't a guy. He was a girl! I mean, she was female. Sorry. We both instinctively turned our heads in the direction of the voice. I squinted, only able to see her body outline. The girl was really skinny, I mean, she looked about one-hundred pounds total. Her chest was flat as an ironing board, and she had so hips. Wow, I'm kind of mean. And critical. But this was the impression. Her hair was extremely long, going down to her butt. Although, at the moment, it was dancing in the "night" time breeze. The strangest thing about her? Her eyes were yellow… And glowing. She was wearing a lumpy winter hat on her head. Weird. "Shire?" she repeated, scurrying over to us.

What's the rush, bones? I remarked in my head. Why am I being so negative about her? It's irritating me.

Shire blinked and patted my knee, then quickly stood to his feet. "Angie? What the hell are you doing in the cemetery?"

Her eyes widened the moment I stood up. She put her hand on his shoulder and leaned close. "Who's this? A friend?" she whispered loudly.

"What's it to you?" Shire scoffed, pushing her away. Yeah, go Shire!

The small girl gasped and put her hands on her hips. "You're as mean as always!" she squeaked, shaking her head at him. "Isn't he?"

I shook my head. "He's not mean." I argued, furrowing my eyebrows.

She rolled her eyes and whispered something into Shire's ear. Yes, his kitty ears. She had to tiptoe to reach them. He shook his head and shoved her away again. Who knows, if could've been a gentle push but she was so featherlike that is felt like a bulldozer bullying her around. She groaned and then looked over at me, glancing at me up and down. She didn't seem impressed. Jerk. "So who are you?"

"You can try and not show your disgust," I retorted, shifting my hips. "I'm Bob Dylan, how's the kids, Feather?"

Feather Girl squinted evilly at me. "Get real, Blondie. You're as dumb as you look!"

"Fine: my name is Anastasia Liddell. How are you? You doing good? Great!" I mocked. "How's your mother doing? Oh? Really? She told you that? Well I can't say she's wrong…" I trailed off, sticking my nose in the air. Yeah, I just showed her. She was asking for it. Are you forgetting I'm irritable?

"Oh!" She grinned widely. "That was devious!" she cheered. I tilted my head to the side. Was she complimenting my mocking skills? "We're going to be besties!" she told me with a wink. I guess I earned her respect. I don't want it. "So what're you two doing?"

Shire butted in, crossing his arms. "Making out. Talking about our fifteen children. Ranting about how terrible our fiancés are. We might ditch them and go elope."

I was beginning to thank the Queen that it was too dark to see my blushing cheeks… But then I realized that the two people in front of me had glowing, yellow eyes. Creepy. Angie grinned and swayed her upper body flirtatious, her hips and chest jutting out as she did so. "You're such a kidder,"

Can I punch her in the face? "What're you even doing here?" Shire asked again.

Angie frowned, "I thought you'd be happy to see me, baby." She cooed, then began to strut forward like a model. "I saw you walk in here. Wanted to know what you were up to. But can we leave? This place is giving me the creeps,"

I actually agreed with her. "Yes, can we get out of here, Shire?" I asked shyly.

Shire nodded and took my wrist, beginning to walk away… LEAVING ANGIE IN THE DUST. Okay, so she followed us. It made me want to slap the curves off of her. Oh wait, she had none to slap! And I bet Shire knew this too, because he seemed extremely disinterested in her. Who is she, anyways?

It took us a good half hour to actually find a way out of the cemetery. What? Are you forgetting that Shire has a terrible sense of direction? Anyhoo, I wasn't annoyed with this considering it was very entertaining. Plus, I was just as confused as him. Unfortunately, throughout our journey, Angie kept blabbering about how long it took her to finally get Shire to talk to her, where she got her shoes, etcetera. As soon as we stepped out of the border of Wonderland's Once Lived, the sky was an orange-yellowish color. I raised an eyebrow for some help.

Shire caught my look and glanced at the sky. "Anything not formally owned by a citizen goes by Earth time." He stated. "The days on the un-owned outskirts are twenty-hour hours that change the sky corresponding to the time." He shrugged. "It seems like it's about three here."

"Three?" I questioned, completely fazed. In the kingdom, it was about eleven in the morning! Did four hours pass? This land is so confusing. I miss the timekeeper, and I haven't even witnessed his work! "This is too much to remember. How are you guys supposed to show up on time for anything?"

"We don't." the boy sighed, guiding us forward again. "If only that freakin' woman would let Tannyn go back on duty, time would be in order again."

Angie nodded, placing her hand on Shire's stomach to stop him from walking onward. "I know, baby, I know. It's really crazy! I say we should protest peacefully!"

Shire stared at her with an unreadable expression. I would know, because I leaned forward to see his reaction to her continual touching. "Why not violently? Either way, we're going to end up getting something cut off." He scoffed. Why isn't he removing her hands?

Angie nodded once more. I swear she had a bubblehead. "Right, right, I totally understand." She cooed.

"Take that stupid hat off. Isn't it hurting your ridiculous ears?" He asked impatiently, flicking her forehead. That could've been a flirt, you know.

The girl winked at him. "I knew you care about me. Didn't doubt you for a second, sweetie," she said softly, sliding the cap off of her. My eyes widened at the sight. On her head was two large triangles, twitching slightly. They were big and striped with orange. She was a cat! She was an orange tabby cat chick! I slapped my forehead in disbelief. They were perfect for each other! The glowing yellow eyes with slit-pupils, the floppy cute ears on their heads, their lean figures… So maybe Angie was a bit on the… unattractive side. Her face was kind of cute. I frowned and huffed in shame. I took note of her long red-orange hair. She had tons of freckles on her face. The weird thing, although, was that her eyes were no longer yellow anymore. In the sunlight, they were a stunning green. But when it's dark, they were simply yellow, like Shire's. "I better tuck out the tail too," she sang, and suddenly an orange striped and dotted tail poked out her bottom. Yes, she was indeed a tabby.

I know it's far too early to do this, but I truly hated her guts by then. "She's a feline." I blurted, pointing at her.

Shire blinked and shoved Angie's hands off of him. Did he now realize that her hands were there? He better realize sooner next time. There better not be a next time. "You want to come to my home?"

Cat Girl gasped and jumped up and down in excitement. "Oh, I'd love too, Shire!"

Cat Boy sneered and inched away from her. "I was talking to Ana."

I blushed and smiled at him. "Sure," I answered, keeping calm on the outside. On the inside, though, I was partying. He asked me and not her. I'm sure if you were in that position, you'd be screaming in delight too.

Shire smiled at me, beginning to walk forward again since Angie was no longer blocking his path.

Angie groaned and followed him. "Don't get any ideas, Anastasia."

"What're you talking about?" I leered.

Shire immediately stopped and turned around, his eyes widening.

Angie grinned, crossing her arms. "Isn't it obvious? Shire is obviously taken by someone else, and I'm determined to break them up."


	15. Chapter 15

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I can't tell naymore if I get views...or if people actually like my writing anymore. :/ Considering I haven't gotten a new review since the 13th chapter... Maybe you didn't like Chapter 14? I don't know. I'd like to keep writing, but I do need some sort of motive to keep me posting here. This chapter took so long because it's one of the deeper and meaningful chapters that Ana experiences. Wonderland isn't all fun and games and weird occurences. She has time to reflect and get some emotions in there. Please drop off a comment or two... I'd like to know that there are still some people who read my work... Thank you. :)

Chapter 15

Whaaaaat? This can't be true. There's no way Shire could possibly have a girl-

"You're delusional, Angie," Shire mocked, crossing his arms and frowning.

The corners of my mouth began to quirk up. Oh, goodie, she was lying. Right?

Angie rolled her eyes, "Shire, sweetie, you know you're dating little miss Claudine." She purred, circling around him as if she were stalking her prey. Which, technically, she is. "Don't worry, though, I'll be here for you when she breaks your heart. Actually, I'll be here for you whenever you need me." She said softly, her dainty fingers trailing behind his neck. I shuddered, biting my lip. This can't be true. Not now. Not ever. I thought…maybe, just maybe, Shire truly-

"She's not going to dump me," Cat Boy scoffed, flicking her forehead and stepping away. He caught my look of despair, his eyes widening. He looked shameful. Maybe he's regretting that he's seeing someone? "Ana, listen-"

"You lead me on," I murmured, staring at my hands in disbelief. Yes, I was heartbroken. How would you feel if you spent the last day or two flirting with a charming teenage boy and then you find out that he's seeing someone else? Well that's how I feel right now. I guess I became emotionally attached to him… "Shire, you lead me on. The dates, the holding hands, the flirts." I wiped my left eye stubbornly, praying I won't let those tears run out. I can't let him win. "All of it was fake because you're with this Claudine girl! You're really insensitive, you jerk!" I cried out, shoving past him. I stormed into the cemetery, not wanting him to get the upper hand. On my way out, I heard Angie call out to me. "Watch out for the bandersnatch, Ana!"

I rolled my eyes and disappeared into the trees, the sky quickly fading to a midnight black. The silhouettes of the dancing trees made me shiver unexpectedly. A few bushes rustled, and I quickened my pace in fear. It's just a cemetery. But where are the gravestones? I supposed it would be interesting to see the names of Wonderland's deceased citizens. I guess. Something growled to my right, and when I froze, the growling came to a halt. Frightened, I raced forward, being surprisingly agile when it came to avoiding the clash of me and nature. I dived behind a clump of bushes, believing this was an alright place to cower behind. Glancing to and fro, there was no one chasing me. No one in sight. Yet, this wasn't enough for me to believe that I was completely safe here. When I heard the rumbling growl from earlier, I held my breath. Ducking my head behind the deep, dark green bushes, I counted to ten in my head. If it didn't stop by ten, I had to run.

One. A leaf fell on my toe.

Two. I inhaled for some more air.

Three. My blond hair slapped me in the face due to a sudden draft.

Four. I clenched my fists.

Five. Please go away.

Six. My palms began to sweat.

Seven. I shut my eyes

Eight. I opened them.

Nine. I braced myself.

Ten. I stood up and sprinted for my life. The growling got softer and softer as I dashed forward. When it felt like I ran a whole mile, I tucked myself behind a party of five trees. They stood up tall and in a circle, enough space for me to lie down in, actually. I sat down in the center of the circle, taking another deep breath. I don't have the heart for this kind of life; I really don't. My fingers drew a frowny-face in the dirt to match my expression. And that's when I heard the husky whisper. "Make it smile." Alarmed, I scooted two inches away from the face I drew. No, the face was not talking. But someone was. I assumed that giving this voice what it wanted would be the safest option, so I patted the frowny-face and exchanged it with a smile. The husky voice came back again, in a hushed yet loud voice, as if it were whispering it into my ear. "Oh, I love smiles. Thanks for visiting." I was prepared to scream at that point, scrambling to my feet in fear. Who was talking to me? I stared down at my picture, then gazed at the dirt. Wait a second. I stepped out of the circle of trees, taking a few steps back to get a better look. These trees aren't coincidentally in a circle- someone planted it in this form. I paced closer to one particular tree, squinting at the bark. I'm not crazy, there's a reason why I chose to study that tree. It had a marking on it. Not just any marking, a marking that made some sort of picture. It took me a good minute to realize that this marking resembled a flower. Not one of those flowers that you drew all the time when you were little. I'm talking about a somewhat detailed sketch of a buttercup. Why is this here? I peeked inside the circle, studying the dirt. The smile I drew was no longer there. Instead, was the words 'Thank You'. I hopped inside, determined to figure out this mini-mystery. I engraved the shape of a buttercup; maybe I'll get some answers. After a few seconds, the voice cooed in my ear yet again. "Thank you, those are my favorite."

My eyes widened, erasing the engraved buttercup from the dirt. I wrote the words 'What's your name?' I waited patiently for the voice to answer, excited. It did. "Stephanie." It answered. My eyes widened and I deleted the words, scribbling in, _Anastasia Liddell, nice to meet you. _"How do you do?" The voice asked politely. I giggled, _Not well… how are you?_ Anyone else find this fascinating? Who am I talking to? "Excellent since you drew me a smile." I tilted my head to the side, curious. _Where are you?_

The next set of dialogue blew my mind. "Beneath your feet." I was shocked, but, for some reason, I wasn't scared. _Are you alive? _

The voice let out a soft giggle, "No." I parroted her giggle- not in a mocking way. Hers was just amazingly contagious. _You're a body under the dirt?_

"No. Don't be scared." She told me, her husky voicing rasping a bit. She sounded desperate. I drew a smiley face and then wrote, _I'm not at all._ You see, I had to keep calm and short about this. I didn't know how long I could keep talking to this spirit. Sometimes in the novels I have read, the ghost spirit thing ends up suddenly disappearing. I needed someone to talk to, and time was precious. _How many visitors have you had? _I bit my lower lip, hoping for the answer to come soon. It has been at least a minute, and she finally answered. "The cemetery guard is here, Ana," she said, her voice sounding scared. "The bandersnatch can't get inside my grave-circle, but you can't stay here forever." I knew I had to take her word for it, because that's the longest set of words she had said to me all 'evening'. I nodded my head and quickly wrote the words _Can't I stay for longer? _Before I was able to hear her response, the growling began. I knew it was close. I felt hot air steam onto the side of my face. The bandersnatch was right outside of the grave-circle, but I could barely see it because the trees were blocking my view. I had to get out of here, but I'm safe in the circle so… Wait, I should say good bye first! I fingered _Bye for now_ on the dirt, my hand shaking. I was scared for my life again. Barely a millisecond later, the voice quickly squeaked out a raspy "Come back to visit me!" I grinned and wiped the dirt off my finger with the edge of my blue dress. The growling hasn't paused. Time to count again.

One. I closed my eyes slowly.

Two. I clenched my fists.

Three. I opened my eyes.

Four. My palms began to sweat.

Five. I stared down at the ground.

Six. I quickly erased my good bye from the dirt.

Seven. I couldn't believe the situation I'm in.

Eight. I prayed.

Nine. I said Amen.

Ten. I leaped out of the circle and ran.

Listen, I have no idea what a bandersnatch is or even how it looked like. But I surely knew how it sounded like. It sounded like a pig, huffing and puffing desperately, as if it were extremely hard to breath. Gross. I quickened my speed, doubting that I'd survive this. The dead grass beneath my feet was rumbling as the growling got louder and louder. There was no chance that it wouldn't catch me, so, being the weird girl I am, I turned around to see what the beast looked like. His elephant-sized body slowed down as he approached. The first thing that caught my eye was, well, he was missing one! He only had a left eye. The right eye socket was empty and slightly pink. It had grayish-white fur with black spots. His fur was as long as my index finger. He simply looked like a really ugly teddy bear. A cute, ugly teddy bear. His ears were tiny in proportion to his body, about the size of my pinky. His eye was beady- a pastel white with a black dot in the center. A floppy, red tongue as big as my arm slung over his bottom lip. It seemed as if he couldn't keep it inside his mouth. I caught my breath, reaching a hand out. It's now or never, right? It hesitated, its short, stubby tail failing to wag. He sniffed my hand with his fist-sized nose and backed away.

"I'm not a threat to your cemetery," I whispered nervously, glancing about the dark forest. I think he believed me, because I could've sworn his head lowered and raised a little. It could be a coincidence, but I'm not into that kind of stuff.

The bandersnatch huffed, hot air hitting my neck. It took another step back, shaking its head furiously.

Panicked, I spoke again to stall my time being alive. "You're doing a great job," I said softly. I stepped forward to pet the bridge of his charcoal, shiny nose. It allowed me to do so, his one eye staring at me intently. I sympathized for him- forced to be a security guard and keep the peace, even with the burden of a missing eye. Isn't there a substitute for him? "How'd you lose your eye?" I asked, my voice hushed. Its eye widened, and the beast paced over to the thickest tree I've seen so far. He craned his head down and picked up a stick, then stiffened. I slowly took the object from him, and stared at the tree. Is this how to communicate with him? Write it down? I squinted at the dirt patch in front of the tree, squatting down and writing down the question _Where's your eye?_

The creature stared at me as I looked up at it. A deep voice rumbled in my ear, but the bandersnatch's lips did not move a muscle. "The Queen took it."

My eyes widened, and I immediately scribbled another ponder. _What happened?_

His one eye closed. "I let someone steal one of her royal horses. I didn't see them."

I felt my face soften, petting the top of his furry head. "She had no right to do that," I whispered, studying his wide face. Poor thing. I was no longer frightened about lingering in this cemetery. I've befriended two of the dwellers here. "Can you help me get out of here, though? I should get back,"

There was no voice.

So I wrote it down.

He responded, his mouth still not moving. "Just keep going forward. You'll end up there eventually."

I assumed he couldn't help me. Maybe it wasn't a part of his job. I thanked him, kissing the bridge of his forehead and scurrying away. He was a sweet creature who had the right to be cautious and careful with even the most helpless looking people. He didn't have much more to lose, and he had to keep the things that he had! His growling faded as he stomped away. I need to visit this place again.

When I saw the light, I knew for sure I was fully out of Wonderland's Once Lived. I inhaled deeply. The cemetery was a nice place to rest and think over your life. It was meaningful place, full of spirits and voices that are only revealed when you write something on their specified patch of ground. I wished that I could meet that Stephanie girl in real life. I couldn't guess her age from her voice, because it was disguised underneath the rasp, dirt noise. Yes, I described that voice as dirt. It's all I could think of. She was so kind, though. I wonder how she looked, who she knew. Did she know William and Mercy? Aster? Shire? I patted the side of my thigh, biting my lip. How old was she? Did the boys know her? Was she an animal-person too, or was she a regular citizen like Halil and Stevie? Was she against Tarrant?

How did she die?

Those questions kept circling my mind, giving me a bit of a headache. Is she happy? She didn't answer my question from earlier: How many visitors did she have? Who wouldn't visit someone as sweet as her? I'm glad I made her day- it must be boring to lay in the dirt all day, no one to talk to. Nothing to stare at but the surrounding brown particles. It reminds me of being buried alive- yet you're dead. I'd definitely visit her again, and maybe bring a friend. Being in the cemetery by myself isn't quite as comforting as going there with a pal. I'll just have to figure out who that pal may be and convince them to tag along. Angie is already scratched off my list. She was never on the list.

I jogged forward, unsure of where I should head to next. I guess I was a bit hungry, though, so I faded into a slow walk. I wanted something with meat in it. I've had sweets, a sandwich, fancy sweet breakfast foods, and fruit, but no meat-based meal. I could use some protein. Of course, I ended up bumping into one of the many male characters here. But this particular one wasn't part-animal, or even abnormal in my eyes. His black, silky hair covered his eyes, and he flicked his head up to remove the pesky strands. The boy's eyes were close-set. If Wonderland distinguished people by race, Tannyn would be a split between Chinese and Caucasian. Overall, though, he was very good looking. I tilted my head to the side and smiled. "Oh, hey Tannyn,"

He returned the smile. "I was about to get something to eat," he told me, tucking his hands in the pockets of his cloak. "Want to join me?"

My cheeks flushed. Oh, he read my mind. Thank the Queen. "I'd love to," I gasped out stupidly.

His mouth cracked a grin, and he began to stroll forward. I walked alongside him.

And he took my hand in his.


	16. Chapter 16

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Sorry this took so long...it's 3993 words long of a chpater! That's NINE MICROSOFT WORD PAGES RIGHT THERE, EVERYONE. So I really hope you like this chapter and the new introduced character(s). I hope you recognize who they represent. ;) Well, thatnks for staying loyal to this series. I have tons of ideas in mind, but if you have a cool idea about what should happen... PM ME AND LET ME KNOW! I'M OPEN FOR ALL IDEAS, AND I'LL DEFINITELY CONSIDER THEM AND GIVE YOU CREDIT. Also, also, also: If you have any indeas for new CHARACTERS in the story, please please tel me about it. Describe them. Gimme their relationship status with my characters. TELL ME TELL ME TELL ME. They don't even have to be from Alice in Wonderland, but I'd appreciate it if you make them Wonderlandy. Meaning, don't make them too normal and human like Ana and Stevie. There's a limit for people like that. xD Also, we haven't seen Absolem in a while..he'll be coming soon in future chapters soon! Keep reading, guys. YOu're the only thing that makes me continue this sotry, so please express yourself if you actually appreciate my work. Thanks so much. Enjoy Chapter 16 of Ana in the Land of Hearts. 3

Chapter 16

Tannyn and I walked in silence with the occasional humming coming from me. He pointed out a few plants we passed by, and stared up at the sky every time the color changed. At one point, he dropped my hand and sighed. My face softened, unsure of why he was being like this.

"Hey, Tannyn, what's wrong?" I asked, leaning closer.

The former timekeeper bit his lip and looked up at the sky, placing his hands into his cloak pockets once more. "It still hurts to watch time change every time you step on someone's property." He murmured. "There's no balance."

"No offense," I said quickly. "But how come the Queen didn't bother getting a new timekeeper? Why did she simply kick you out and not replace you?"

He shrugged, glancing over at me. "The Queen is still young and immature, only eighteen years old." He explained. "She's too young to be wise about anything. She's trying to show the citizens of Wonderland that she's fair and generous, giving them all the right to choose time." He rolled his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Stupidest thing I've ever heard, Ana."

I gave him a small, sympathetic smile. "I agree. She's crazy for thinking that. Not much people like the time frames."

"Besides the Hatter," he added shyly.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Do you have a problem with Tarrant too?" I asked, a bit annoyed. Tarrant was as sweet as Demetrix.

"No. I mean, we're not friends and I don't want to be friends. I just don't want to talk to him, Ana." He whispered, gazing at me. "It's a touchy subject, I guess."

I nodded quickly, showing him that I understand. "Alright," I said, twiddling my fingers. "So, um, where are we going to eat?" Let's change the subject.

Tannyn blinked and looked up, looking relieved that I changed the topic. "Baked garlic chicken," he stated. "That's what we're going to have. William is making it."

I rejoiced in my head. I haven't seen William for a while since he and Shire left to take care of Mercy. "So we're going to his house?" I questioned, sounding a bit too eager.

"Yes," he chuckled, making a left. "He lives underground though, so you're going to have to take the stairs down." I stifled a giggle, because it sounded like we were strolling down to Hell rather than William's rabbit hole.

After making a few random turns past random trees that are not important enough for me to describe, we finally came across a hole the width of an elephant. I glanced down unsurely. Me and holes haven't really gone very well within the past few days, heheh. Luckily, there was a trustworthy staircase leading downward. Tannyn smiled and lead me down the brown stairs as we headed under the dirt of Wonderland. When we made it to the bottom of the hole, we had to walk down a narrow hallway. A hallway! It was like a little apartment complex down here- even the walls were lit with little light bulbs poking from the dirt. Except there were only three doors in this hallway. I peered around. "Do other people live in this place?" I asked.

"Paradise Holes is only home to two residents. William and some old woman." Tannyn explained as he knocked on the chestnut door. It was the last door at the end of the corridor.

After the second knock, the door swung open and Will appeared on cue. He grinned when his eyes caught mine, and I really couldn't help but blush. You've known me long enough to realize that this is what I do. Then, he nodded at Tannyn. "Come on in," he greeted, opening the door wider and pulling me by my wrist into his humble home. He shut the door as I gazed about the room. It was a modest size, and had a warm fireplace that heated the room. The kitchen and living room were in the same room, which I found really cute and cozy. The floor was wooden with the occasional patch of rug here and there. There was a stove at the side of the room, along with an oak counter and two stools in front of it. Obviously, there was a fridge on the other side of the counter, as well as a few cupboards and a shelf. The living room area of the room simply had one long, three-seater couch, a side table with a lamp, and a television by a painting. There were no windows, of course, because we're underground. Truly, I'd hate to live somewhere with no windows. All the lighting is artificial, which is uncomfortable to me. Tannyn stood by the oven, leaning over to see what's cooking. Cute.

William, on the other hand, was staring at me. I blinked at him, "Um, Will?"

Rabbit Boy jumped and shook his head frantically. "Crap, I'm so sorry." He said awkwardly, laughing at himself as well. "Sorry, I zoned out for a second."

"No problem," I laughed, amused by this. I tend to zone out too. "So you cooking dinner?" I asked, strolling over to stand beside Tannyn. "No offense, and don't take this the wrong way, but I thought you were more of a veggie man."

The former timekeeper laughed at my comment, his pointer fingering angling by his chin to keep his mouth closed. I guess he wasn't comfortable with laughing out loud. "I thought the same thing when he and I met."

Before I could return Tannyn's smile, William spoke up. "Just cause I've got big honkin' rabbit ears and a stubby, puff as a tail, doesn't mean I can't chow down on meat." He stated, putting his chin up in the air in a joking matter. Rabbit Boy gently pushed me and Tannyn away by the shoulder, then bent down. He slipped on a black over mitt, then opened up the hot oven. My taste buds began to beg as the tantalizing fumes of chicken and garlic seeped through my nostrils. Oh, yes, bring on the chicken, Rabbit Man.

"We should wash our hands," Tannyn suggested, gesturing over to a narrow door on the opposite wall of the television. I blushed and scurried over to the door faster than you could say 'bring on the chicken'. Alright, I was a bit embarrassed because Wonderland had altered my hygiene. I totally forgot about washing my hands. We stepped into the bathroom together, but then Tannyn stepped away shyly. "Uh, what's up?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing, just giving the lady some space." He answered truthfully. I assumed he was unsure about sharing the bathroom with a woman.

I waved it off, "Hey, it's no problem at all." I assured him. He didn't seem convinced, so I snatched his hand and pulled him in, shutting the door so that he wouldn't have an easy chance of escape. His face was bright red as I turned the faucet. Weird. I hovered my hands underneath the running warm water, waiting for Tannyn to join me. He didn't look like he planned on washing his hands in the same room as me. I turned the faucet off and wiped my hands lazily on the white towel hanging on the rack. He motioned toward the door, but I jammed my hand onto the knob before he would slip away. "Nuh, uh, uh," I tsk-ed, jabbing my fingers against his chest and pushing him away from the door. "What's going on?"

The young man blushed once more, averting my eyes as much as he could. "Nothing, Ana."

I rolled my eyes, dropping my hand from his body. "Please don't lie to me. I've already been betrayed once."

"Alright," he replied quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not very experienced with girls. Being locked up in a tower for years, happily maintaining time, and then being hated by the kingdom doesn't really give me the chance to actually contact women."

I stifled a giggle when he mentioned the tower part, but only because it reminded me of Rapunzel. Anyway, I crossed my arms and smiled. "Relax, Tannyn," I whispered, shrugging my shoulders nonchalantly. "It's fine. Just treat me like any other friend."

He shook his head, frowning. "I can't do that." He murmured. "You're a woman."

I grinned, liking that title. But no, I couldn't accept that. "I'm only sixteen, Tannyn."

"Older than thirteen and you are a lady to me." He replied, running the faucet. He rubbed his hands together quickly. "I'm eighteen years old. Older than you, yet I still think you're a lady."

This was pretty amusing, having Tannyn elaborate on my ladyness. Ah, well, I can't flatter myself for too long. "Just don't be so tense around me. It'll be fine." I told him. Once he finished up drying his hands, we crept out the bathroom. William was sitting beside the dining table, the platter of garlic baked chicken resting lonely on the table. Rabbit Boy's biceps were strained, the veins on his arms popping. Obviously, we kept him waiting for too long. Ashamed, Tannyn and I clumsily plopped onto a seat across from each other and folded our hands on the table. I looked over at William expectantly while the former timekeeper bit his lip shyly. This didn't look so good.

William cleared his throat and waved his hand in the direction of the entrée. "Just take whatever," he murmured.

We ate in silence, quietly nibbling at our chicken. I finished first considering I eat every meal like I'm being timed. Tapping the eggshell at the corners of my mouth, I glanced over at William. "Uh, Will,"

He slowly looked up at me.

"The chicken is really good," Tannyn blurted, staring down at the meat in front of him.

William nodded at Tannyn, and then looked over at me. I cleared my throat. "What did you do to Mercy when you and Shire got to the windmill?" I asked loudly, leaning forward so I could hear every word. The last thing I wanted to hear was that Mercy got hurt or strangled. Even though he got angry pretty quickly, doesn't mean he's a terrible guy. He simply has a short fuse. Plus, he's a confused guy.

Rabbit Boy looked away, studying the plate in front of him. "Mercy wasn't there when Shire and I barged in." he whispered, glancing over at Tannyn. "So we left and hung out. But then we spotted you walking around aimlessly, and he suggested that he should check on you."

"But how come I didn't see you at all?" I questioned, puzzled by this information.

"Because he said it'd be better if he talked to you alone, I guess." He shrugged. "I assumed you guys had a fight or something, so I didn't bother to argue. I really did want to go, though."

"Were you and Shire fighting?" Tannyn asked suddenly.

I turned my head in the timekeeper's direction, biting my lip. "Well, at the time, no." I said truthfully. "But I'm not very happy with him right now."

The boys stared at me, a lost look on their face. They exchanged expressions, and I figured it was time I should tell them. "He has a girlfriend," I coughed. "He lead me on, and I found out he has a girlfriend."

"Oh," William blurted, pointing a finger in the air. "Claudine."

"Yeah,"

"She's human," Tannyn pointed out carefully. "Not that that means anything, of course. But she was a farm girl from Heart Kingdom. She hated the fact that they fired me, and I guess Shire liked that about her."

"So he really likes her?"

"Head over heels," William quickly replied, nodding his head. He placed his hand over mine and squeezed it. "But it's alright, Ana."

"Yes, it's alright because Shire doesn't like her anymore." Tannyn added.

William's eyes widened, and he stood up suddenly. "We don't know that!" he exclaimed, sounding mighty suspicious to me. "Anyway, from how I remember it, Shire was and is clearly in love with her. Why would you be so upset about this anyway?"

"No reason," I answered, standing to my feet. My hand trailed up and down my arm, feeling a bit self-conscious. "He just…sent wrong signals."

Tannyn glanced between me and William, beginning to blush. "Hey, it's fine," he, sounding like he was asking this rather than assuring me. "Shire can be sly,"

I lost my appetite at that point, but I guess it didn't matter considering I already finished the meal. Being the somewhat polite person I am, I placed my plate into the sink and wiped my hand on my white napkin. "Thanks for the supper, Will. I should get going." I announced, tossing the napkin into the trash and walking to the door. "I can find my way out."

William and Tannyn dashed over to me, not wasting a second. Both of them were frowning, their eyebrows furrowed. "You're still new to Wonderland. Where do you have to go?" Tannyn asked.

"You can hang out with me- us," William called out as I turned the doorknob.

I shook my head slowly. "No, that's okay." I said, pushing the door open. I looked back at them and smiled weakly, my bottom lip trembling. If Shire knew what he was doing to me… "I'm fine. Just not feeling well," I muttered, then fled the scene, scrambling down the hallway and up the stairs.

It wasn't difficult to exit the Paradise Holes. I just followed the light, no pun intended. That was funny, though. Anyways, once I couldn't see the PH sign, I let out a sigh of relief. As much as Tannyn amused me and William entertained me, talking about Shire's girlfriend isn't something I'm going to enjoy. Plus, their words of comfort were a bit messy. Tannyn believed Shire and this Claudine girl weren't close anymore, while William was truly convinced that they are still madly in love with each other. Doesn't matter anymore, right? I don't like Shire.

I brushed past a few trees, following the smooth dirt path. I needed some cheering up, but I didn't have much choices. Shire can't help me, no doubt. William and Tannyn weren't much. Tarrant…he's still missing. Demetrix is out looking for Tarrant. Aster is out retrieving cloth from Spade Kingdom. Stevie is concerned about that missing livestock.

"Ana!" he cried out.

"Mercy?" I asked in shock. Oh, I forgot about him.

"Ana!" he cried again, slamming into my chest. I crunched forward in pain as he stumbled to the ground. "Wow, you've got a chest of steal!" he slurred. Yes, he was drunk. I guess I forgot about that too.

"What're going on?" I questioned, falling to my knees. "Are you hurt?"

"Don't be silly." He snickered, sitting up. "I'm fine. I'm playing hide-and-seek with my buds, but I don't think they realize that they're supposed to hide when I seek, and I seek when they hide."

He's so drunk. He could barely manage to collect his words. "Where are they?" I asked, turning around to see if someone was chasing him. So, wait… Was Mercy hiding or seeking?

That's when two older teenage boys appeared from behind the trees. They sprinted towards me, huffing and puffing. Both had long khaki pants on and a polo top. The slightly taller one had a black and white striped polo on, while the other had and baby blue and white striped one on. They had light, hazel eyes that widened when it spotted Mercy. They both had chestnut red hair that tucked behind their ears and had a couple faint freckles on their face. The taller one wore a black baseball cap, and the shorter one had a black bowtie on. They were definitely twins. Good looking twins, nevertheless.

"Mercy, quit hiding." The taller one moaned, kneeling beside the crazy hare.

"What? But it's your turn to seek?" The hare bawled.

The shorter one stifled a laugh, plopping onto the ground right next to me. "We're playing tag, for the last time." He chuckled, completely amused by Mercy's ignorance.

It was my turn to guffaw. "Guys, Mercy is drunk." I told them with a nod, but I was pretty sure they knew that. "He thinks you're playing hide-and-seek."

"I realize that," The twin with the baseball cap sighed, fixing his shirt. "He always ruins our games when he drinks."

Short Twin (he wasn't short, but I'm labeling him this way to know the distinction between the two of them) was staring at me the whole time. I could feel it. Finally, he nodded his head and glanced at his brother. "Hey, this girl is pretty. Is she the one?"

Tall Twin didn't look at me once. But now he decided to. Instantly, his pupils dilated. "Wow," he exhaled. "She's really interesting,"

I blushed, feeling watched. Which, I really was being watched so I had a pretty legit reason to blush. "Uh, thank you. My name is Anastasia Liddell," I coughed awkwardly. "Please call me Ana, though."

"Ana sounds more casual." Tall Twin said thoughtfully while Short Twin looked over at Mercy, who was now staring up at the orange sky.

I tilted my head to the side. "That's why I prefer it." I explained, and then pointed over at Mercy. "So you guys are friends with him?"

"Yeah," Short Twin blurted, shrugging his shoulders. "Why?"

"Because I noticed… not many people like him."

"That's because not many people have seen him sober." Both twins murmured, shaking their heads at the same time and speed. Cute.

I completely agreed with this. I guess it was rare to see Mercy normal. He was pretty nice when he's sober. "I see your point."

"I'm Damion." Taller Twin stated, giving me a quick nod. "I'm Daniel," the Short one added.

I smiled. Of course they had names that both begin with the same letter. Typical twin thing. I patted my dress down. Anytime I think about this blue dress, I think about how I haven't showered in two days. How attractive. "Is there anything different about you two?" I asked, totally intrigued.

The twins began to cackle, exchanging menacing smiles. "Hah, Ana. We figured you'd think that," The Shorter one began. The Taller one completed the sentence. "We're not twins. We're cousins."

My jaw dropped. I was both embarrassed and surprised. Oh, Wonderland, how you never fail to confuse me. "How is that possible? You look so much alike. And your voices are the same deepness and everything."

"Well, our shoe style is different." Shorter Cousin chuckled, gesturing at their feet. True. He had sandals on while the Taller one wore black sneakers with no laces. Taller Cousin chimed in: "Our dads are twins, if that helps."

Still didn't help much, but it did make some sense. A little. "Are your mothers twins too?"

"That'd be awkward," Mercy giggled.

The twin-cousins snickered, giving off their little evil grins again. I don't believe they're actually evil people; I think that's just the way they smile. It's pretty funny. "Okay, so you're Damion," I croaked, looking over at Shorter Cousin. "And you're Daniel." I finished, pointing at Taller Cousin. They both shook their heads, chuckling to themselves. "Oh, let me try again." I blurted, flailing my arms in the process. Pointing at Taller Cousin, I shouted "Daniel!" Pointing at Shorter Cousin, I cried out "Damion!" They both began to crack up, unfortunately.

"You changed the order of your sentence completely," Taller Cousin snickered.

"And you didn't change the meaning. You still got it wrong," Shorter Cousin completed.

I groaned and jabbed my finger at Taller Cousin's chest, then Short Cousin's knee. "Damion. Daniel."

"Good job. I'm Damion." The Taller Cousin complimented.

"And that makes me Daniel." The Shorter Cousin added.

Good, I think I can remember this. Their difference was their height. Taller Cousin equals Damion, and Shorter Cousin equals Daniel. I got this. "Okay, I got this." I told them, standing to my feet.

"The Twine Cousins, coming to your kingdom soon!" Mercy sang, stumbling to his feet. He rested his head on my shoulder and gave the boys a lazy smile. "This is my wifey."

I scrunched my nose, and the cousins smirked. "Don't flatter yourself," they both murmured in amusement. That definitely made me crack up. They all stared at me; I could see them through my half closes eyes as I struggled to catch my breath. These boys are too much. MY face turned red in the process. I laughed too hard.

Mercy frowned, wiping his eyes clumsily. "H-hey, that's not nice Annnie." He whined.

I grinned and brushed him off my shoulder. "So where do you guys live?" I asked the Twine Cousins. Damion and Daniel Twine. That has a really nice ring to it. Anastasia Twine. Wow, that sounds cool.

Did I just think that? Wow, I need to shut that voice up in my head.

The boys looked at each other, then over at me. "Twine Tent." Damion told me. "Not too far from our buddy Tarrant's estate." Daniel added.

I nodded slowly. They're one of the few people who actually like Tarrant. Maybe that's a good sign? "Where are we now?"

Mercy's eyes bore into mine, his eyebrows arched high. He looked concerned…and insane. "Why were you at Willie's home?" he asked, his voice cracking. "You went to Paradise Holes?"

I bit my lip, unsure of how to answer this truthfully without getting him upset. "Well…I ran into Tannyn and he was on his way to get something to eat. And I was starving too! So I joined him and apparently the meal was being served by Will!" I cried out, pressure going to my head.

His bottom lip trembled as his eyes watered. "Why, Ana, why?!" he bawled. "You cheated on me!"

My throat went dry as I tried to collect my thoughts into an apology. "Uh- I…I-I didn't…"

Damion placed a hand on my shoulder while Daniel place one on the other. "She's not your wifey." They chanted, giving him a menacing smile.

"She's not anyone's _wifey_," someone scoffed in the background.

The four of us turned around cautiously, but I knew exactly who the person was. That back-stabbing kitty boy.

"You're so delusional, Mercy." Shire scoffed, turning his head to look at me.

I blushed but arched my eyebrows downward to show some anger. "What're you doing here?" I asked, trying to sound disappointed in seeing him… Even though I wasn't.

He paced over in my direction, carefully taking my hand and squeezing it. "Ana, we need to talk."

My face softened for a split second, but my thoughts were interrupted because the twins crossed their arms and separated us. "Leave Ana alone, Shire." They said together, frowning. My heart raced, feeling a bit nervous.

I peeked over the boys' shoulders and saw that Shire rolled his eyes and put a hand on his hip. He then shoved right through them and took me by the waist. "Let's go. Now." He ordered, tugging me away from Mercy and the twins. Daniel grabbed Shire's shoulder and jerked him back. Shire frowned, his slit pupils becoming thicker with furiousness. He turned around and slammed Daniel's chest with his fist, knocking the wind out of him. My eyes widened and I scrambled over to Daniel while Damion stormed over to Shire.

"You were always a jerk. Get out of here, no one wants you." He told him, his fists clenched. "Especially Ana."

I turned my head to look at Shire, and his eyes watered. Seriously, they became slightly sparkly from tears. But he was too stubborn to let those tears fall down his cheek. No, he kept them in.

"Fine." He huffed, dusting off his shoulder and straightening his shirt. He pushed past everyone, but when he got to me… he paused and studied my face. "Talk to me when you want to know the truth." He whispered, flicking my hand.

And he turned and walked away.

His tail hanging limp.


	17. Chapter 17

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**Hello fans, folowers, and everybody else! Nuggs here, and I'd like to announce that *drumroll* WE'RE ON THE SEVENTEENTH CHAPTERRRRR. HOORAHHH! Okay, so I"m not sure why I chose seventeen to be special, but it's a nice number, don't you agree? Well, whatever. Anyhoo, thanks for sticking with this, and I love your contribution and ideas. I've been getting a few and have already considered half of them! You guys are very creative, and if you want me to read one of your pieces, PM me and I'll totally check them out. I"m a real person, so you can talk to me! Don't be shy. ;) Well, without further or do, I'd like to present, Ana in the Land of Hearts, CHAPTER SEVENTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN.3**

Chapter 17

I wanted to turn around and tell him everything was okay. That I'm not angry. That it's simple for me to get our friendship started again. But that was a lie. At this point, I really wasn't okay. I'm angry, and it's definitely not easy to take him back as a friend. Leading me on? That's not cool. And I think he knows it. To be honest, I would totally run after him… But I realized that I'm so quick to apologize. How come I'm feeling bad if he's the one that did the bad deed- which is another reason why I'm angry. Because he's making me feel like crap!

After we revived Daniel, the four of us ended up at the Twine's Tent. It wasn't actually a tent. It was more like an RV- a portable home. The RV was a storm gray, but when you got inside, it was mostly maroon colors. Obviously, being a mobile home, it wasn't very big. You simply walk up three little steps, and your inside the every room. There was a bunk bed near the back right corner of the large yet narrow room, and a couch beside it. Across from the bed was a chestnut dresser to hold their clothing. Near the entrance was your basic white kitchen, except everything was against the wall. The flooring was carpeted, which made this place seem extremely cozy. There was a painting of a starfish on the wall, and beside the entrance was four pairs of sandals. I guess they were into that. But then, if you squint over to the back of the room, underneath the bunk bed were four sneakers poking out.

I instantly flopped onto the couch while Mercy stumbled over to the fridge. He opened the white door and leaned forward. Daniel rested his back onto the wall as Damion patted Mercy's back. "We have no drinks for you," he told the crazy teenager.

"Mercy, come here," I called out, patting the space next to me on the couch. The drunk stood up, his hare ears twitching as he dived onto the couch beside me.

"Yes wifey? You want me to rub you're-" he hiccupped.

"No, Mercy. Just relax and think: sober." I said soothingly. I'm pretty sure that didn't do much for him, but it's an attempt to get him fun and normal again. Surprisingly, the boy slumped back, immediately entering dreamland. He murmured something under his breath, but I couldn't pick out the words. My hands grazed his back, and then stroked his furry ears. When I looked up, Daniel and Damion were staring at me with wide, menacing grins.

Daniel pushed the knob. "I'll just close the door and-"

"I'll tell you the plans." Damion finished, stepping over to me. I raised my eyebrows, studying Damion's face. He was awfully cute. I wonder if- "Are there beaches in your world?"

"Beaches?" I repeated, glancing at the starfish on the wall. "Definitely. But I'm not a big fan of them."

Daniel turned around swiftly, looking quite shocked. "You don't like beaches? Why?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Um." I blurted. "The hot sand burns my feet. The nosy children who splash the sea water. The pesky seaweed that wraps around your calf and refuses to leave." The reason was pretty legit.

Daniel and Damion both stared at me with wide eyes. "No. Freakin'. Way." They chanted, shaking their heads. Taller Cousin tapped his feet on the ground. "What kind of crappy beaches do you have in your world?" he scoffed playfully. "Our beaches are nothing like that."

I sat up on the couch. "What?"

"Our beaches are nothing like that," he repeated. "The sand is exactly seventy-eight degrees, and each section of the beach is specified for certain age groups."

"There are two beach sections that are open for all ages," Daniel added.

"There's no seaweed." Damion added, counting the differences with his fingers. "The ocean water is warm, completely warm."

That sounds heavenly. "So any time of day you hop in the water, it's never cold?"

"Never," Shorter Cousin concluded. "At Wonderland's Ocean Point, it's always ten in the morning. The sun is in the perfect spot."

My eyes widened in excitement. "That's just amazing" I breathed, shaking my head. "I'd love to see this place."

"Then you will!" Damion yelped, striding over to the dresser. He pulled open a drawer and bit his lip, searching through the clothing. "We're going to take you to the beach!"

I grinned, full of eagerness. But quickly frowned. "I don't have a bathing suit."

"We'll get you one." They said together as Damion pulled out black swimming trunks. He tossed a pair of blue trunks at his cousin's head.

Nodding my head, I stood to my feet and let out a sigh. I needed some fun time, and this will definitely be fun. "Where are we going to get me a swimsuit?" I realized that the boys were stripping off their shirt and pants, and I immediately turned red and shut my eyes. I got no warning. After counting to thirty in my head, I opened my eyes. Damion was completely decent now, dressed in his trunks (and looking fantastic with his four-pack). Daniel was still pulling up his trunks, so I caught a glimpse of his-

"Aster Sage might have one." Shorter Cousin said, snapping the waistband of his trunks. MY cheeks flushed.

"Sure, but he's out in Spade Kingdom for some supplies." I replied awkwardly.

"He has a store." Taller Cousin told me as he opened the door of their RV. "The prices are pretty high, though." Daniel added.

I'm certainly not self-conceited, but maybe if he knew it was me that wanted the swimsuit… he wouldn't charge that much. "I wouldn't worry too much about that." I murmured, stepping out the mobile home. Something brushed against my calf, and for a second I thought it was seaweed. Yes, that was incredibly stupid of me to think. I jumped, thrusting myself at Daniel. He blinked and patted my back, and so I quickly jerked away. "Sorry," I apologized, and then stared down at the calf-brusher. It was an old, scraggy cat with blue eyes. Siamese- a brown face with a cream body.

"Hey Joshie." Damion said, reaching down to pet the cat's head.

"He's not our cat," Daniel explained, tugging at the end of his trunks. "But we leave food for him every now and then, and sometimes we put a pillow on the windowsill and let him snooze there."

So it's not their pet. Speaking of pets… Where the heck is Rusty?! MY eyes widened, frantically glancing about the forest. Did I leave that poor dog in the cemetery? He was pretty quiet after Angie put herself in my story… Maybe she scared him off? Crap.

"Um, Ana?" Damion blurted, scratching the back of his neck. He adjusted his baseball cap. "You zoned out."

I blushed and shook my thoughts away. I don't think I should tell them about me secretly being an irresponsible pet owner. "Sorry, let's just go."

The three of us left Mercy inside, marching forward. There were a few things I could point out during our little journey to the beach; first, we had to walk over some hills, which was a major workout for me. It felt nice though, but now my body is itching for that shower. Next, we came across a fork in the path, and we took a left. The signs that directed us were pretty straight forward. The one pointing left said "Wonderland's Ocean Point" and the other had an image, but it was scratched out. How ominous. Lastly, we had to walk a good half a mile on the sand before you could even see the water. True to his word, Damion pointed out the large fences on either side of the visible beach.

"The beaches are sectioned off per mile. So this one is for ages fourteen to twenty. The one on the left of here is for ten to thirteen, and so on."

I nodded, the warm sand tickling my feet. It didn't burn at all. It was a miracle. "This feels so nice," I breathed to myself as I skipped forward; letting the sand hit the back of my ankles. We laughed and dashed towards the ocean. I was ten feet away from the water when I got distracted by a cute boy in forest green swimming trunks sitting on the sand. He looked peaceful as he flipped the page. I grinned and made my way over to him. "Hey, Absolem." I greeted amusingly. "Didn't know the beach was your kind of scene."

His black eyes gliding over my body, and I glanced away awkwardly. "You're not wearing a swimsuit." He pointed out as he flicked brown strands of his hair away from his face. "You truly are a foreigner." He snickered, obviously getting kicks from this.

I turned red and swiftly snapped my head in the direction of the twins. "We forgot to pick up the swimsuit!" I cried out in shame. I sighed and sat down beside the earthy teen while Damion and Daniel shrugged their shoulders in embarrassment. "I guess I'll just hang out with Abby," I murmured.

Absolem grinned and shut his book, tossing it into the sand. "Sorry, ma'am. But unfortunately I just finished my book." He cackled, standing to his feet and flicking sand at my dress. "Guess you can't go in the water today."

I pouted as he ditched me for the ocean water. Jerk. I struggled to shimmy my Aster Sage Original dress, but finally let it drop to the stand. There I stood with my purple bra and panties. Thank the Queen I chose to wear matching underwear two days ago. Not that I was hoping for anything… Just forget it. "Oh, I am so going in the water today." I said challengingly as I sprinted to the water. I grinned as Absolem, Daniel, and Damion exchanged flustered expressions. It was so their turn to blush. As I plopped into the ocean clumsily, the seawater penetrated my mouth. I spit it out immediately, but there was absolutely not a single taste of salt in my mouth. Another miracle. I love this place. "No salt!" I hollered, splashing droplets at Absolem.

He stood five feet away from me, furrowing his eyebrows together. "That's not very modest." He said out loud.

"Ana… What're you wearing?" Daniel asked, raising a brow as he and his cousin swayed over to me.

I blinked and glanced over at the guys. "You've never seen a girl in this before?" I questioned.

The three of them shook their heads. Absolem rubbed the back of his neck, obviously unsure of how to react to this. "Your world is a bit explicit, isn't it?"

I held back a laugh. _You have no idea_, I thought. "This is pretty appropriate. I'm not revealing anything." I said simply, trying not to feel too conscious about myself. I hope I didn't look as fat as I felt.

"I guess everything necessary is being covered…" Damion trailed off. All of their faces were bright red, and I was kind of loving it.

"Don't get me wrong, Ana," Daniel began, circling around me. "You look fantastic," Damion finished.

I blushed and wiped my eyes slowly. "Uh, thanks." I murmured. I'm not the best with compliments.

"I guess explicit isn't a bad thing." Absolem chuckled, sprinkling water at my face. I grinned and playfully pushed him away.

"Shut up," I snickered, rolling my eyes and diving into the water. I kicked my legs behind me as I fished forward in the un-salty five foot seawater. I opened my eyes curiously, and I could see clearly. There was nothing disturbing my eyes to close, and I even could see Absolem and the cousins legs. Nothing was blurry. Another miracle. When I poked my head out the water, something wrapped around my calf. I jerked my ankle upward, only to find Daniel's fingers curling around it. We both roared with laughter. Damion came out of nowhere and jokingly pushed my head underneath the surface. Anytime this happens, the victim typically breathes in some of the water. So I did end up snorting as I grasped for air. As soon as I coughed when I popped my upper body out the water, the uncomfortable feeling was gone. "This place is awesome." I sighed dreamily.

Damion grinned and patted his stomach. "Best place in Wonderland." He pointed out as his cousin gave me a thumbs-up.

When I turned around to see what Absolem was doing, Daniel was face-to-face with me. We were literally so close that our noses collided. And we don't have big noses. We both took a huge step back. To avoid any more awkwardness, I squinted beyond his shoulder. Maybe he would figure that I didn't think much of that moment. To my surprise, Absolem was staring at me. But…not my face.

"Uh-" I blinked, waving my hand at him.

The boy shook his head suddenly, his dark brown hair flopping all over the place in the process. Recognizing that he just messed up his hairdo, he raked his fingers through the strands. "Sorry," I didn't plan on putting him on the spot, but he insisted on explaining what was going on in his mind. "I'm just not used to seeing so much."

"You've never seen a girl's stomach, thighs, collarbone, or chest before?" I asked. The bra covered most of my breasts anyways, so it really wasn't a big deal. Maybe I did look as fat as I felt?

"No, I've seen it all." He blurted, rubbing his chin and staring down at the ocean. "Just not all at once on one person."

I smiled and bounced over to him. "That's okay. You'll get used to it." I told him, patting his shoulder.

That sounded so wrong, and he recognized it. Absolem chuckled and brushed past me. "You're pretty straight-forward. I thought you were more dignified than that."

We both snickered. Daniel and Damion caught up with us moments later, and we all took turns racing back and forth, splashing each other, and I even taught them Marco Polo. Absolem was the best Polo player, because he was a master at traveling around without being heard. I wish I could do that. My volume seems to be permanently set to high. The four of us did get tired, though, and so we crashed onto the sand, a good eleven feet away from the water so the tide won't attack us. I lay between Absolem and Daniel while Damion was sprawled across all of our stomachs. Any time we laughed, Damion pretended to get upset and act like there was an earthquake due to our rumbling tummies. We stared up at the sky.

"So it's always ten in the morning…" I said thoughtfully, gazing at the sun, hidden behind the orange clouds. "That's really neat."

Absolem simply grunted in response while Daniel and Damion wiggled excitedly. "It really is," they chanted together, letting out a deep sigh. I love these guys.

"Who owns these beaches?" I asked curiously. Someone had to set the time frame here, right?

"No one," Absolem said suddenly.

I turned my head to the right and stared at him. "Then who chose the time?"

He glanced over at me, then slowly inched his eyelids together. "Any land that belongs to no one in particular has an election. The citizens of Heart Kingdom, once they're over thirteen, vote for a representative to choose a permanent time frame for the vacant land. Once he or she picks the time frame and sets the gears, they don't need to do anything else." He explained, shrugging his shoulders.

"This place is so complicated." I muttered.

"It's horrible," Absolem said softly to himself, turned his head away. Damion and Daniel grinned at me. "We think it's cool. The Queen gave us so much independence over how we want our times. She trusts her people." Damion said attentively, nuzzling the back of his head on my stomach. I held back a giggle, trying to hide the fact that I'm ticklish there.

We rested on the sand in silence. My eyes were closed, so when someone took my hand, I honestly didn't realize who it was for a while. I didn't put much thought into it either considering I fell asleep seconds later.

When I woke up, the three of them were still sound asleep. I smiled and slithered my hand out of Absolem's grasp. Yes, he was the one who took my hand. After gently pushing Damion off of our stomachs, I crawled a few feet away. I planned on staring at the ocean water for a few minutes, but then my curiosity got the best of me. Absolem was reading a book earlier. What was it? I bit my lip and paced over to the bright blue book that stood out in the sparkling ground. My hands grazed over the top, brushing off the sand. I pursed my lips as I squinted down at the cover. Nothing interesting. Just a solid baby blue color and the word 'That Night' imprinted on the front. I flipped it open to a random page, glancing over periodically at the boys in case they were conscious.

_"Kantora," he called out, wiping his watery eyes that were flooding in tears. The girl didn't move. She was frozen solid on the glistening sand. "Kantora, we have to go." He wept, taking a hold of her sides and shaking her desperately. She wouldn't wake up. The city was only a few miles away, and Yanni could feel the power rising in his throat. He wanted to scream out to the heavens. "Revive her!" he cried, staring up at the midnight sky. "Revive her and take me instead!"_

I paused. That was pretty deep. Closing the book slowly, I thought about the passage I just read. Would a boy do that for me? If I got hurt, would he genuinely want to be in my place? No, probably not. They're all talk. Except maybe Halil. I think he'd do that for me. Genuinely. That soldier had a big heart, and he seems extremely noble and loyal. I wouldn't be surprised if he admitted that he'd take my place. The problem was that Halil wasn't allowed to talk. But, what's weird is that he's just as sweet when he's silent. I really respect that. "So this is what Absolem likes to read." I murmured to myself, nodding approvingly. Maybe he's teaching himself a lesson about how he should care for women. That'd be nice.

"Put my book down." Speaking of the devil. "Ana, that's mine. You're so nosy."

It's true. I'm an extremely nosy person- but who could blame me? Everyone is so mysterious here. "Oh, sorry," I apologized, standing to my feet and handing him the book. "Sorry, it looked really interesting. Why'd you choose it?"

Absolem shrugged, tossing the book between his left and right hand. "Shire recommended it to me." He said quietly.

We both glanced over at the twin cousins who were sound asleep. "Shire?" I repeated, at a loss for words. After a few short moments, I collected my thoughts. Why did my throat get so dry when Shire's name pops up in conversations? "He reads?"

The boy chuckled, obviously amused by my ignorance. "Not really. He reads only sometimes. But if you see him with a book, then it's definitely a good read." He explained, tapping the novel against his thigh. "He's picky."

"Don't I know it," I groaned.

Absolem blinked and scratched his head. "Is everything okay between you two?"

I blushed and nodded my head quickly.

"Liar," he sneered, raising his eyebrows. He sat down on the sand and tugged me to sit beside him. "What's going on?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I truly didn't know what to say.

"You like him, don't you?" he asked softly. When I bit my lip and glanced up at him, he sighed. "You heard about his girlfriend, too."

"Claudine," I whispered, hugging my knees to my chest. We sat in silence for a good minute before I spoke up again. "They're really in love, aren't they?"

Absolem's eyes widened. He put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me to his side so that my head was nuzzled beside his neck. "Who told you that?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Shire and Claudine used to be in love." He corrected, closing his eyes. "Now they're fighting all the time. They haven't gotten along since Tannyn lost his job."

My eyes lit up. I felt it. "So why didn't they break up yet?" I croaked.

"They're very similar people." He explained, opening his eyes and looking at me. He smiled. "Brooding yet sensitive. They don't know how to break up with each other. Neither of them wants to be the one to officially end it."

I guess that's what Shire wanted to tell me all along. Nevertheless, I'm still having some uneasiness with that boy. I buried my face into my friend's chest. "Thanks for telling me the truth," I moaned.

He hesitated to respond, drawing circles on my back with his hand. "You're welcome." He said, barely audible. But it was lout enough for me to hear it, which is satisfactory for me. When I closed my eyes, I could've sworn I heard him mutter: "He really was right."

Why do I feel like this has happened before?


	18. Chapter 18

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

_**Hello everyone. Very long time since I last posted... Listen, I don't want to be one of those authors that totally stop their story on you. No way. I realized that even though some of you aren't here and reading, there are new people who are enjoying my story and I can't let them down now! :) Please bear with me, because school has been very tough and so has life. I'm tyring to get all my work done and give myself time to write for you guys. :P Well, you've waited long enough: Here's chpater eighteen.**_

Chapter 18

Absolem and I remained in that cuddly position for a good ten minutes before Damion and Daniel awakened. The cousins scrambled over to us and practically linked our arms together, walking away from the water.

"Where are we going?" I asked anyone, glancing over my shoulder as the ocean was getting less and less visible.

The Twin Cousins strode forward, swinging their arms in the process. "We're going to go back to the Twine Tent and change." Daniel explained.

Damion suddenly stopped walking and turned around. "Hey! We got to get your dress!" he exclaimed, sprinting like a marathon runner back to the beach. Daniel kept us moving forward, not wasting any time. He glanced over at Absolem a few times, and then suddenly began to whistle casually.

For some reason, I thought Daniel had something to say- but that feeling washed away when I spotted a small group of young ladies gathered around something. I shook Daniel's arm, and then poked Absolem's shoulder. "Guys, what's going on over there?" I questioned as I pointed in the direction of the mini mob. The boys shrugged and began to walk over there. When we were close enough to get one of the mobbers' attention, Absolem tapped her back.

A petite blond girl wearing a dress patterned with petunias turned around swiftly. She studied the three of us, biting her lower lip and nodding. "Hello," she greeted, raising her eyebrows and smiling. "Can I help you?"

I smiled at her. The girl's eyes were bright blue, and I couldn't help but think of Hitler. Weird, I know, but the reasoning was pretty legit. Adolf Hitler's idea of the 'perfect person' is someone with equally spaced blue eyes and blond hair. And there she stood, right in front of me, her teeth were white like pearls, and she was a bit on the narrow side. Well, okay, my eyes were blue and my hair was blond too… but on her? It looked absolutely perfect. Her nose had the perfect slope too! Her eyes were as blue as Aunt Edith's pool and her hair was as golden as honey-

"Yeah, what's going on here?" Absolem asked, interrupting my thoughts. Rude.

Daniel stood on his tiptoes, trying to see what the group of women was surrounding. "Yeah, I've never seen so many people near the beach."

The Perfect fluttered her eyelashes, which were brushed with black mascara so that they could be visible. When you're blond and light skinned, it's pretty difficult to see our eyelashes without mascara. That's why we wear it. "Oh?" she blurted, and then turned her head at the girls. "Oh! Right!" she blurted, seeming to now remember what was happening. "Diamond Park is opening today." She told us with a nod.

"What are you guys surrounding?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"Diamond Park's landlord!" Perfect exclaimed, tugging at my arm. "Wait," she paused, taking a step back and studying my body. "My word! What are you wearing? That belongs underneath cloth."

I stifled a laugh, shaking my head. "I didn't have a swimsuit, and I couldn't jump on the ocean with my dress on because it'll hold me back." I explained. "So I decided to just go in bikini-style."

"Bikini-style?" she repeated, amused. "Bikini? That's a silly word." She cackled, and then patted my back. "Anyhoo, the landlord is supposed to be extremely hot and a musician. We have three of the four card kingdoms, Heart, Spade, and Clove. Today we make history by adding the final card to Wonderland! It's going to be a huge theme park themed kingdom."

I stared at Perfect. Wow, that sounds like a great place. Absolem raised an eyebrow. "What's the landlord doing by Ocean Point?"

Perfect glanced over at the earthy boy and her lips curled into a shy smile. "I wish I knew. We're all assuming it's a surprise visit. Or maybe he was going to go for a swim." She gaped.

Wow, she took the words right out of my mouth. Perfect and I seemed pretty similar in our thought process. The only major difference was that she seemed to say everything in her mind like she had no censor, while I, on the other hand, keep most things in. Most things. "I'm Anastasia Liddell."

Perfect's oceanic eyes widened for a few seconds. "Anastasia Liddell?" she repeated, grinning at me. "That's such a lovely name." she said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "I'm Amor Valeria."

Now it was my turn to widen my eyes. That name was even lovelier! Amor Valeria? It's gorgeous and has an amazing ring to it… I envied her. "That's an amazing name!"

"Amor means love," Amor explained, shyly drawing a circle on the sand using her big toe. "And Valeria means strong."

"Love strong," I breathed, trying to take it all in. That's simply fantastic. Most people in Wonderland, actually, had very unique names that caught my attention.

"Yours is much better." Amor concurred. She caught my confused expression and shook her head at me in shame. "Anastasia means resurrection." She clarified. "That's one of the best meanings. It's so abstract is could mean anything! New chances and beginning! A different way of life! Oh, the possibilities are endless!" she cried out to the heavens. We both began to snicker at her dramatized scene while Daniel and Absolem exchanged weird looks. "Oh, hey Daniel."

Daniel blinked slowly; it was obvious he was trying to figure out who this girl was. After a few long seconds, the corners of his mouth quirked into a menacing grin. "Hey Amor!" he greeted. "Sorry, it's been a while."

"Well it's been busy," the girl yawned, patting her hip and shaking her head. "Stevie lost one of his damn livestock." She groaned.

"Oh, hey!" I blurted, waving my arms for attention. "Stevie told me that!"

"Congratulations?" Amor giggled, looking over at me with a strange look on her face. She was so amused by me. "Well, his loss is my loss. He's slowing the shipping down." I think I made it conspicuous that I had no idea what she was trying to say. "I work for a shipping company for Heart Kingdom. Stevie is one of our best associates. He always drops off things to ship- he keeps our company lively. But now that he lost the flowercow he was going to ship, we promised to hold the box for him. Meaning, we're not going to ship anything off to the other kingdoms until he gets that stupid thing back."

"Why'd you promise? Doesn't that just make you lose money?" I asked.

"Sure, but we had to give him some sort of perk in appreciation of his contribution to our economy and all that good crap." She explained, rubbing her chin.

Absolem placed a hand on my shoulder and stared at Amor and her beautiful blue eyes. "How about we find that flowercow, then?" he suggested, his eyebrows rising with a smile. The four of us grinned in agreement as Damion finally came back with my dress in his arms. He was out of breath, so I quickly took the clothing from him and patted his back.

"Sorry…" he croaked, his hands on his knees. "I tripped…and your dress…got covered…in….sand…" he managed to say between breaths.

It wasn't too long after that Absolem, Damion, Daniel, Amor, and I were running around in the perpetual forests of Wonderland. They seemed to be more agile than me considering I must have rammed into ever other tree in my way. After the fifth collision, I slumped against a skinny tree and moaned. "Mummy,"

The twin cousins swung from a branch while Absolem peered behind a bush. I was looking over at the boys, so when Amor suddenly stood next to me, I freak out a bit. Her hand flew to her heart and the other gripped my shoulder. "Damn you, Ana. You almost gave me a freaking heart attack." She giggled, dropped her hands to her sides. "Anyway, don't worry about the tree thing. I know you're embarrassed, but once you live in Wonderland for longer than two weeks, you'll sense a tree coming before you could see it. The dodging is just an adaption the residents make."

"You guys are superhuman." I coughed, stroking my forehead. "I'm kind of jealous. All the youth here are good looking and fit. Back home, you get lucky if you lay your eyes on a hot athlete. I haven't spot one unattractive youth here yet!"

Amor rolled her eyes and grinned at me. "Oh, please. The boys here are okay." She scoffed, standing up from the tree and squinting forward. "I think he's the hottest one I've seen," she admitted, pointing at the earthy boy.

"Absolem?" I wonder, looking over at his back as well. Yeah, he was a really handsome fella no matter what you think of him. "Yeah, I agree."

"He's different." She added. "Plus, he looks like he's into reading and isn't a liar. That's amazing, right?"

I nodded slowly, my eyebrows furrowing. "Right…" I trailed off, my heart beating a bit faster. "He's nice."

Amor glanced at me, then at Absolem, then at me again. She shook her head and tugged me along to continue our search. "Come on, the flowercow isn't gonna find itself." She snickered.

"What is a flowercow?" I blurted, marching past her.

"Uh, it's a four-leafed flower that can be milked for its nectar." Amor said slowly. "Wow, you're really a foreigner. They don't have flowercows back home?"

"Absolutely not." I gaped.

"Their nectar is to die for. It's creamy and as sweet as Absolem's face." She sang. I grinned at her, completely entertained by her admiration for my friend. "I'll take you out to get some."

I agreed to the arrangement and we soon joined the boys again. They had no luck finding the sacred flowercow, so we shrugged it off for now. The five of us were strolling past Madhatter's Estate when Amor randomly whimpered. Startled, we all turned to face her.

"Crap, sorry," she snickered, rubbing her left arm up and down. "Something hit my arm." We stared at her arm- it was bleeding. My eyes widened while Damien leaned closer to view it. Daniel scrunched up his nose, so I assumed he wasn't a fan of blood. "Something must have been sharp,"

Absolem trailed his fingers next to the cut and I felt uneasy. Not because the blood was creeping me out, but because Absolem was touching her. I dismissed that random spurge of envy and reached forward as well. "I wonder what that was," I commented. The short wooden gate of the estate creaked, and when we looked to see who it was, I smiled. "Demetrix," I greeted. "Hey,"

The boy gave me a warm smile, as if he were relieved to see me. "Hi. What's going on?" he questioned, stepping towards me. I pointed at Amor, who had a sheep expression on her face. He studied her arm and nodded. "We've got some bandages. You guys want to come in?" he asked shyly, his voice low and his eyes drooping a bit. He looked sleepy, as usual. We all agreed and found our way past the huge dining table and into the mansion. This was definitely an estate! Who knew Tarrant was this loaded? As we huddled around the couch in the study room, packed with books and dark, wooden shelves, Absolem looked extremely interested in the books. Well, he looked frightened yet intrigued by his surroundings. I placed my hand on his arm for a moment to give him some sort of comfort. Fortunately, he smiled at me and squeezed my hand. And that's when I remember that he was friends with Shire, who was friends with the timekeeper, who was fired. The three of them seemed to be against or somewhat against Tarrant Hightopp, and since Demetrix is Tarrant's close friend, well, this was awkward for Absolem. My eyes quickly found its way to Amor's cut arm. Demetrix was dabbing it with a cotton swab, so I turned my attention back to Absolem. He was standing a few feet away, rubbing his left arm up and down with his right hand. He was gazing at the bookshelf beside the door, and I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him.

"Hey," I whispered, tilting my head to the side. "You alright?"

My earthy friend scrunched up his nose, pretending to be disgusted by my presence. Jerk. "Yeah. I just feel a bit weird being in here." He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck now. "I'm in the enemy fortress, you know?"

"Well at least Tarrant isn't here, right?" I questioned, biting my lower lip.

He chuckled and rustled my blond hair so that it was acting as a thin curtain for my face. "At least you're here."


	19. Chapter 19

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

_So I've been gone since October... I"m so sorry, guys. High school is a total bounce house. It's tones of fun but it's hard to keep up! Dx Hahah, but I'm managing. I got all A's and 2 B's on my first quarter report card...not too shabby, I suppose. Anyhoo, this chapter is a bit on the lengthy side because I wanted to share a nice large chapter with you. Hopefully you like it and I would like to see that you're still reading my series... I can't wait to see your reviews, though!3 Thanks for sticking with me, readers, fans, and followers. You rock! :D Good luck with school/work/life, I wish it goes well. Stay cool. This is my second longest chapter, so be happy! (Chapter 16 was the longest) Here's Chapter 19:_

Chapter 19

Once Demetrix finished treating Amor's little wound, we all settled on the crimson rugged floor. Absolem was being awfully quiet, so I decided to linger around him for a while. Damien and Daniel were chatting with Demetrix, Amor was staring at her bandages, and Absolem was rubbing his left arm up and down slowly. I smiled and patted his back. "You feel alright?"

"I'm not sure. I still feel like I'm betraying Shire," he admitted, biting his lower lip thoughtfully.

Maybe that's why Shire appreciates him so much. He's loyal.

"You know that cat guy is my greatest friend?" he asked me, gazing down at the carpeting.

I nodded. "I heard," I replied, sitting Indian-style. "How'd you two become to close, though? Last time I saw you guys together you were bickering like an old married couple."

We both shared a measure or two of laughter. "I've known him since we were three." He told me. "At first, we'd always find ways to insult each other, especially each other's fashion sense." Another laugh. "But we ended up having a lot in common. Our opinions were the same, and when Tannyn got fired, we were pissed off. Tarrant is the one to blame for it." He said in a hushed voice. I opened my mouth to speak, but he interrupted me. "We can't talk about this here, maybe later. I'm sure you're going to find out anyways." I nodded at him, and we both turned away at the same time. When I looked over at the Twines, Daniel and Damien were both eying me with a funny look on their face. Amor whispered something in their ear, and I sat their stupidly, wishing I actually knew what the heck they were gossiping about.

"Hey, Anastasia," Amor suddenly blurted, crawling on all-fours over to me. "Hey," she repeated, nudging my shoulder with her nose.

Strange. I leaned away. "Uh, yes?"

"Are you fond of Absolem?" she cooed. Damien and Daniel both grinned at me mischievously. "Or can I get warners?" My earthy friend shifted uncomfortably on the rug.

"Warners?" I wondered. Wow, these Wonderlanders really confuse me- their dialect is totally out of my language. So farfetched that I can't even brainstorm about what some of their words could possibly imply.

"You've never called warners?" she gaped in awe. "Warners is when you reserve someone for yourself, meaning you get to try and get them without anyone getting in the way because you called warners."

"Oh, you mean like dibs?" I asked, nodding my head. When my blond friend gave me a blank look, I knew I should've kept the statement to myself. "I mean, I get it. You're calling warners. Got it."

"So can I get warners or do you want him?"

There was a long pause; a pause so long that it gave me an itch. What was I supposed to say? Absolem was in the room, clearly listening to the conversation like any normal person would do if they had people of the opposite gender chatting about you. The problem was that he didn't look amused by this. He had a scowl, looking almost annoyed by us. I bit my lower lip, trying to think of something that won't upset Absolem and won't reveal anything personal. Honestly, I had no idea whether I liked him or not. I could live without knowing that he's mine, but at the same time, I'd be furious to find out that he's with another girl. Like how I felt with Shire…

Oh… I forgot about him. But this wasn't the perfect time to prolong my inner monologue considering everyone was losing their patience. I opened my mouth to speak, but Absolem covered it with his palm. "Can you discus this without me here?" he asked, a sheep expression on his face.

Amor sighed and put either hand on her waist. "Come on, Abby. It's all good. I have no shame. But the little immigrant in the room certainly has some…"

I abruptly stood up. "Amor, quit putting us on the spot!" I whined, rubbing my left arm furiously. Okay, I know that that was clearly uncalled for. Amor is a playful person— she definitely didn't mean any harm. It's just that I wasn't in the mood for this kind of situation, and I don't think Absolem was willing to witness it either. The boy took me by the elbow and began to walk toward the chestnut door that leads to the corridors. "You guys can stay back; Ana and I are going home."

Once we basically ditched Tarrant's Estate, Absolem finally let go of my elbow. We stood in silence, staring into each other's' eyes because it was pretty evident that neither of us had something to say. I decided to break the awkward period of time. "I hung out with Tannyn not too long ago," I began, picking up a pebble and tossing it at a thick tree. We started to walk forward. "He's really nice and polite. I see why you and Shire listen to him."

"Did you get him to show you the time gears?" He asked curiously, both of his eyebrows rising. "Or did you forget?"

"I forgot." I answered quickly, feeling quite embarrassed. "Wow, and I still really want to see how it works."

"Well now you have to wait." He chuckled, patting those forest green swimming trunks. "We need to change. Especially you."

I blushed and we picked up our pace. I might have forgotten that I was wearing my underwear and nothing else.

Lately I haven't been giving much detail about my walks. I'm getting accustomed to the land, and the trees are beginning to look familiar. The journey to the beach was a different story since I didn't travel there before. But, at the moment, we were heading to Absolem and Tannyn's dome, which is a pretty familiar place now. After ten minutes of walking without saying another word, I calculated that we were about halfway there. Once I did the calculation, a brunette in brick red armor and short black hair was watching me. "Halil?" I blurted, squinting at him. I haven't seen him since we…

Oh.

The silent guard opened his mouth to speak, but as soon as he caught glimpse of Absolem, he shut it. His eyebrows drooped downward, clearly saddened.

Absolem glanced left and right, then flicked his hand in Halil's direction. "No one is around, you can speak, Yellow Shield."

Halil blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. I knew he was getting a bit more comfortable despite the awkward face he was making. If he was fully tense, he wouldn't even flinch or show that he was so nervous. "I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly." He apologized, taking a deep breath.

I stared at him until he had the urge to make eye contact with me. With a soft smile, I said "That's alright. I figured you had some duties or whatever, being the Queen's personal guard and all." He nodded slowly and turned on his heels, beginning to walk away. I frowned and darted my hand onto his shoulder. "Hey. You only came to apologize? You won't even stay and chat?"

He coughed, not turning around. "I only came to say sorry. I need to go back." He said quietly. Was it me, or did he sound like he's…holding back tears? I pushed my hand against the left side of his chest, causing the teen to turn around and face me. To my surprise, his eyes were glazed and wet.

"Halil…" I trailed off, completely shocked. "W-why are you-"

"I'm never going to get promoted from Yellow Shield." He whispered.

"What? How come?" I gaped. The boy shrugged and looked away, so I let him turn around and begin to walk off. If anyone else were to do that, I'd find it extremely rude. But I felt so sorry for him that I couldn't help but sympathize and let him go away without chastisement.

"Don't forget you have a room waiting for you back at the castle." He added before disappearing into the forest. For some reason that statement made me smile. I felt so much better.

"I think I know why the Queen isn't promoting him." Absolem pointed out.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes, but I'm not completely sure. So don't bother to ask me because I'm not saying a word."

"Why not? That's not fair."

"I said I'm not completely certain that my thinking is correct. If I tell you what I think, you're going to get some expectations, and I don't want to give you false expectations."

Absolem is so wise; he's like one of those elders from mythical stories that have such stylized wording that everything they say seems smart and important.

He reminds me of Yoda.

"So where are we going, Yoda?" I asked. I honestly forgot.

"Yoda?" the boy repeated, jerking his head back.

It took me a few seconds and a two blinks of my eyes to realize that I called him that old, withering alien thing from Star Wars. Whoops. "Sorry, sorry, just something-" I coughed. "Some_one_ you remind me of. Back to the question, please."

He shrugged it off. Good. "We are headed to my dome." Before I even considered asking why, he explained it for me. "Tannyn should be home, and you said that you haven't asked to see the time gears, correct? Well, I want you to see them, so I'm going to try and convince him to let you have a look."

That statement didn't require a response. I knew he could tell I was thankful from the way his eyes lit up. He looked quite pleased, so I was just as content. We paced forward, going a bit faster than usual because I guess we were both more excited to get back to his dome. The visuals were not much different: trees to the left and right. I was thinking about how I was probably losing weight due to all this walking when Absolem suddenly turned on his heels. I followed his gaze back. There was a bulging figure speeding towards us, getting larger and larger. I felt myself being tugged off the pass and on the grass, Absolem beside me all the way through. We leaned forward simultaneously, and to my surprise it was a horse…

Thing.

Its body was definitely one of a horse, no doubts about that aspect. Its tail was so finely curtained with long strands of black hair that it resembled one of a Friesian. Still horse like. But once you get to the head, you'll know why I scrunched up my nose. It was clenching its teeth, and the little white mounds were so tiny in his mouth that is seemed to belong to a mouse rather than this beast. It also had butterfly like antennas, thin black lines that swirled perfectly at the top. The horse-butterfly-mouse-thing slowed its pace as it came to us, surprisingly stopping right in front. I wondered if they were dangerous, and if this creature happened to have an owner somewhere. Perhaps he's lost? I wasn't sure, but at the moment I was kind of too frightened to speak.

"Wow," Absolem gaped. "It stopped right in front of us, Ana."

I nodded stiffly, not quite understanding the significance of his comment. Yes, the beast did stop in front of us, but sometimes wild animals back home would see me and just walk over. Nothing would happen, though. The squirrel or lost dog might just sniff and stare, then scurry away as if I sent them a death glare. This beast, on the other hand, didn't bother to sniff me. With a doglike nose such as his, I don't think I'd miss the sniff. But it wasn't flaring. Was it not breathing? Does it even have to breathe? The horse-butterfly-mouse-dog lowered its head in my direction, getting too close for comfort. Up this close, the creature was kind of cute. His eyes were hazel and twice the size of mine, and his fur looked like doll hairs. I was tempted to reach out and stroke his head, but I was scared that his mouse teeth may pack a bite worse than it appears it would. "Absolem…" I murmured, trying to fathom this.

"It's a hybrandit."

I blinked twice. "A hybrandit." I repeated, staring at the strange creature. His eyes were still locked on mine, and things were getting a bit too creepy for my taste. Hybrandit sounded like hybrid and bandit merged together. Was this beast combined with other animals and likes to steal things? No, if he were to be a thief, Absolem would have known and he'd warn us to leave much sooner.

"I think he sees something in you, Ana," my friend whispered cautiously. "Hybrandits never stop and stare. As soon as you make eye contact, they scamper off or get on their hindlegs for a threatening defense position." Thanks the Queen that Absolem's reading really pays off. Of course, I'm just assuming he read this information in a book. I was gazing at Absolem's face when the hybrandit pegan to poke its moist nose at my wrist. I hesitated, unsure of what to do. "He must be giving you permission to touch him."

Nodding slowly, I bite my lower lip and lift a finger. The beast jerked its head back a moment and I flinched. "Maybe I shouldn't." I murmured to myself, leaving my index finger suspended in the air. Its eyes never left my face, and I almost presumed her was blind. Some blind people's eyes tend to be fixated in one spot, so it may seem like they're staring, but they're really not. I took a deep breath. If I can deal with that jabberwocky, I can deal with a hybrandit, right? Not even bothering to inform Absolem of my thinking process, I raised my finger up and rested it against the creature's forhead. It closed its eyes for a few seconds, finally breaking the stare. I began to shift my finger forward and back, brushing a small tuft of fine hairs. It was much softer than my blond curls, and the evil monster Envy was standing on my shoulder. This creature made me nervous. I wasn't sure what it was thinking. Why did it stay after we made eye contact? Did I smell like food at the time? We were at the beach; I don't think I have a food like odor. Unless hybrandits each salt-free oceans, which I doubt, because you can't really smell water from as far as I can tell. I watched a pair of light skinned hands stretch past mine, positioning itself on the thing's neck. I followed the arm to see who was there. Absolem was making an attempt to pet the big guy. Cute. We exchanged excited facial expressions. As he began to stroke, the hybrandit bucked and stood up onto his hind legs.

The earthy boy threw his arms in the air in surrender. "All right, I won't touch you." He agreed. The creature didn't seem to understand, because it landed on all-fours and snapped its teeth beside Absolem's wrist, inches away from gnawing into his skin. The chomp was so strong that I could hear the hybrandit's jaws clamp together, literally sounding like _SNAP_! I immediately stepped in front of him. "Down, boy," I scolded, wagging a finger in front of its face. "He's a good guy. He's my friend." I explained slowly, placing a hand on my friend's shoulder. "See?"

The hybrandit's eyes widened and he bucked once more. In fear, I leaped out of his reach and he ended up shoving Absolem to the grass. He then trotted over to me, leaving the boy on the ground to fend for himself. I patted it on the back. "That wasn't nice," I told him, turning on my heels and kneeling beside the victim. "Hey, you alright?"

He shrugged, sitting up and dusting off his green shirt. "Yes. I like the grass, so it's not like I'm angry." He chuckled, taking my hands and getting us both to stand to our feet. Once we were a foot away from the hybrandit, it bucked once more, staring at Absolem. "I don't think this guy is going to stop till I leave." He coughed, taking large steps away from the monster. "They're not friendly creatures, but he seems to like you, so stay with him for a little because it looks like he's not leaving anytime soon. When you're ready to go, meet me at my dome."

The minute Absolem disappeared into the trees, the hybrandit stopped bucking. He watched me, his eyes widening. His pupils even dilated, which was pretty adorable. I kissed his forehead. That's when I realized the scar shaped like an eyebrow on his cheekbone. "What do you want, boy?" I asked, touched by his senseless loyalty to me.

To my surprise, the hybrandit opened his mouth. "You're in the prophecy." Now, picture this: those words were coming out his mouth, indeed, but his lips never moved to actually form the words. His mouth was only two centimeters open, so it's not like his jaw was to the ground as he produced the words. Completely freaked out by the fact that he could talk, I simply stood there. "I am Likon," he said. "I know you have lots of questions, but before I continue, you must know that you are the first Wonderlander to be aware that my species can speak. Keep it quiet, or else the wretched Queen will put our species to work if she finds out we can speak and understand your language."

"Of course, you have my word!" I squeaked out. Lame, I know, but I was still trying to comprehend this.

"I trust you with this information, and only you. Don't tell your friend. He is wise, yet he already knows enough."

This took a few seconds before I answered. "Right,"

"You have heard of the curse, correct?"

"Curse?" I repeated. "I think the topic has swung by once or twice, but I'm still completely ignorant of it." Finally, I'll be getting some answers.

"Every male character here is in love with you," he explained.

Sure, but I already knew that. It was, in fact, one of the first things I learned when I got her. Thank you, Shire. "Why do you call them characters? Is this not real?"

His left eye twitched. Strange. "Calling a citizen a character is simply saying that they are older than fourteen and younger than twenty five." He clarified. "But enough of that, I'm here to warn you."

"Warn me?" I parroted. "About what, exactly?"

"Patience, Ana. Please," he groaned out, obviously displeased with my swiftness to react to every sentence of his. "This curse, it may not seem as bad as you've experienced, but it's going to create some disasters. I can't tell you what I foresee, but I can give you a warning."

I put my hand in the air to pause him. "But Likon…" I began. "It's not my fault that I ended up in that curse. I fell down a hole by accident."

"The minute you fell down the hole was the minute Wonderland unlocked its doors for you to finally come for it. You didn't get here by accident, Ana. None of the characters here did. But that is to be explained at some other point." He sighed out, his voice lowering. "I sense someone is close, so I'll be wrapping up now. This is all fate. The kind of love the boys have for you are blurry, but I know you'll find your way out."

Out? I forgot I had a life back home… I forgot my plan was to get out of here… I forgot about my friends, my school, my backyard, my aunts… My mom. She must know. If she were to tell me, I would've have never even considered believing it. It sounds so far-fetched; no wonder she never explained this to me. What were her last words before I tuned out? She was speaking to Aunt Edith, but what did she say? "Right…"

"But you need to tie loose ends before you leave, Ana." Likon said, beginning to back away. He turned around, his horse tail swishing side to side. Looking over his shoulder, he blinked slowly at me. That was his sign of good-bye, I knew it the second he did the action. How? I'm not sure, but I just did. I smiled and flicked my fingers in his direction. "Thank you, Likon."

As I stood there alone, I couldn't help but bop my head left and right. Despite Likon's wise words and information, it was so choppy and out of context that I was left with even more confusion than when I started out. My hands dropped to my sides. He told me that he's an elderly hybrandit, so I'm guessing his death isn't too far ahead. Good thing he found me. I bet he would have told me more if he didn't sense a person somewhat nearby. I glanced up at the sky, attempting to tell the time. The sky was a faint blue… Still can't tell the time of day, and I was starved.

Something poked my hand. A poke that seemed so familiar that I didn't even have to turn around to figure out who it was. I think I'm ready to talk.

"So are you going to let me speak this time?"


	20. Chapter 20

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

_Hello, everyone! It's Nuggs! I"m back form the dead! Teehee, I hope your holidays were happy and cheerful, and that your New Year will be brilliant! :) Anyhoo, I know it took me a pretty long time to finish up, but I finally completed this chapter, so I really hope you like it. Please, as usual, comment. Tell me what you think. Tell me your ideas for future characters, scenes, and Wonderland vocabulary. I finished one page of chapter 21 already, hahah. Anyway, this chapter gets a little confusing near the end, so bare with it. Wonderland's mystery is a very complicated concept to grasp, so don't worry. Even I'm confused about it, but it is legit. I'm just glad I still have followers rolling in and giving me a PM every once and a while. Don't be a stranger! Keep reading! ;) Thanks so much, here's Chapter 20. We've come a long way. BTW, I HOPE YOU LIKE THE NEW ICON FOR THE STORY._

**Chapter 20 **

Can I just comment on something? I adore the fact that in this world I never have to chase anyone down. Back home, if I got someone upset, it was usually me trying to go and find them, and then beg for forgiveness. Here? Wow, they come after me. Even the stubborn ones, like the cat standing in front of me. The adorable, good-looking teenage cat-dude asking for another chance. No one ever asked me for another chance. No one has ever asked me, Anastasia Liddell, for a second chance…let alone a first chance.

"Why are you smiling?" Shire scoffed, looking quite disgusted by my face.

Jerk. I frowned and crossed my arms, immediately irritated. That feeling of happiness I just had? Gone. "Just go on and say what you planned on telling me." I sighed. I couldn't help but add a little smile in there… So, maybe the feeling was lingering. Just a little, of course.

"You're such a creep," he commented, rolling his eyes. I knew, despite the rude accusation, that he was speaking lightly, no offense given. "Well, before I start, I want you to tell me what you know."

"What I know?" I parroted. "What I know about what, exactly?"

I swear this would be the perfect time for Shire to face palm like they do in manga or cartoons—his expression told me everything. "What do you think, dunce?"

"Dunce? Who are you calling a dunce?" I whined, truly offended by this insult. It was definitely meant to do some hurting.

Another eye roll. "Dunce means outsider or immigrant. You're not from here, remember?"

"Right." Curse Wonderland dialect… "Anyway, I'm assuming we're talking about the fact that you have a girlfriend."

"Good. Tell me what you know so far."

"Why don't you just tell me everything I need to know, Shire?"

"Ana, you're pissing me off. I'm going to forget everything I was about to tell you if you keep acting like a kink."

"Sorry," Crap. This wasn't what I had in mind. I should stop provoking him, I really should. But sometimes he just makes me want to lash out and just be negative. Is that a bad sign? "Okay, all I know is that you have a girlfriend."

"I know that. Angie told you."

"Right, and, um," I paused for a moment. What else did I know? I got two sides of his story from two different people. I guessed I should tell him both. "Well, you and Claudine have been together for a while, ever since Tannyn got fired and Claudine expressed how much she sympathized with him or something. So lately you two have been arguing a lot lately, but neither of you are brave enough to actually break up because you don't want to be the one to dump the other." I explained. "There's also the high probability that you and Claudine are just happy and dandy and together forever and that you're feelings are very strong."

Shire nodded slowly, obviously trying to process everything I just vomited. After what seemed like an extremely long hesitation, he finally opened his mouth hesitantly. "Where did you get those stories from?" he asked quietly.

"The negative story came from Tannyn and the positive story is from William." I murmured, copying his hushed tone because I thought he was trying to keep this conversation a secret.

Apparently he wasn't, because the next line was pretty earsplitting. "Why would he lie about something petty like that?" he yelled, throwing his arms in the air and turning around, as if William or Tannyn was standing nearby to hear his scolding.

"I'm not sure," I croaked, holding my hands up in front of me in fear that he might just turn around and slap me across my face. I doubt he would do that, but at the time, I wasn't thinking straight…or practical. "Which one was lying?"

"Both," he muttered. "Both of them were lying, Ana," he clarified, looking behind him so that his gaze met mine. "They took the truth and twisted it." He suddenly snatched my wrist and began to storm away.

"Where are we going?" I asked frantically as I tried to keep up with his dangerously quick pace. The boy was surely light on his feet.

"Somewhere private. We need to talk alone," he stated, guiding me over a fallen tree. Trees were everywhere, and even though I've only been here for…two days? Who knows! I could never tell time anymore. I still haven't gotten accustomed to the massive amounts of nature. "Plus, you're practically naked, Ana. I'm not standing outside with you looking like that."

We actually ended up in Shire's home, otherwise known as: that thick tree I spotted when I first got in Wonderland. I glanced around, not seeing a door anywhere. I didn't bother asking where the door was because, knowing Wonderlanders, they have their own ways of entering and exiting places. Cat Boy paced over to the humungous tree and placed his hand over the lowest branch. He tugged at a nice-sized green leaf, and, to my surprise, it didn't pluck off. In fact, it stretched just a tad and a rope ladder plopped in front of us. I looked over at him, looking quite perplexed. How did that work? He must have caught on to my expression because he smirked and gestured to the ladder. We scurried up quickly, him in the lead. When we reached a wide branch, the rope ended. Well, this branch is the place where the rope came from. It was pinned right there, looking pretty sturdy. I wobbled forward and back for a few moments, and Shire placed his hand on my waist. "Steady now," he chuckled, turning to his left and turning a brass doorknob.

A doorknob? So the front door is eight feet off the ground? Neat. After he heard the click, we scrambled inside. It was pretty dark in his loft. Dark, but neat. I actually liked it. There was a lamp in the far corner of the tree room, dimly lighting the walls. "I like this," I commented quietly, brushing my hand along a black leather couch. The room didn't have much. There was a long "L" shaped couch along the wall and corner opposite of the lamp. There was a wooden closet by the lamp, as well as a five-foot mirror leaning against it. Near the door we entered through was a massive painting. I squinted at it, stepping closer. It's the Queen, sitting on her throne. She looks thin and calm, like she wasn't someone who was easily excitable. By the throne was a little three-step staircase, and at the bottom of that was a hand reaching out with a clock on its palm. I wasn't sure where that hand lead to considering the painting faded off. It was only half finished. Underneath the frame was a little wooden plaque that read: 'Start Date:" and nothing else. "How come there's nothing after 'Start Date'? You don't remember when you started this?"

Shire cleared his throat and frowned. "I remember perfectly fine." He concurred, strolling over to the art piece. "But 'Start Date' doesn't mean what you think it means."

I rolled my eyes. "It means when you started the project." Why would he think I wouldn't know something as mediocre as that?

"Wrong," he sighed, slamming his palm unnecessarily hard against the wooden plaque. "I'm not telling you what it means because there's no point. It hasn't started yet." He explained, shaking his head slowly. "And from what I've seen, it's not going to start anytime soon."

Why do the boys here have to be so mysterious? I guess I had to respect his quietness about the subject. Maybe it's touchy. I simply nodded and walked over to the couch. Only a few moments later after sitting on the leather, an oversized black t-shirt was thrown at me. Oh, great. I'm still practically naked, aren't I? I blushed and looked up. "Thanks," I murmured, fiddling with the clothing in my hand. Truth be told: I was getting a bit chilly. My thanks was pretty genuine. As I shimmied the shirt onto my body, I felt a bit warmer. Not because the cloth was on my skin now, but because Shire was now sitting beside me, which made me less cold. Well, okay, so our knees weren't touching and there as enough space to fit the Queen between us, but it was good enough for me. I guess.

"You want pants with that?" he asked, cocking his head to the side curiously. My face began to heat up; his eyes were gazing at my thighs, no question about it. "My pants probably won't fit you," he commented slowly. "But there's this one thing…" he said in a quieter voice, as if he were ashamed of something.

I raised an eyebrow. The boy moved the mirror out of the way and tugged open the doors of his closet. Gradually, he stretched his arms inside and flipped through the clothing articles. I fidgeted uncomfortably in my seat. Not sure what to expect. He then pulled out some sort of garment; I couldn't quite define what it was yet. Closing the door with his left foot, he tossed it to me. I quickly lifted it up to study the piece.

And now I know why he was flustered after mentioning this one thing. It was definitely a feminine pair of shorts. It was a dark shade a purple, very pretty indeed. There was a silver chain that looped through the belt holes lazily, hanging once it reached the side. The edged of the shorts' legs were rigid, giving the pants a bad-hot-chick kind of look. Why was Shire in possession of this? I looked up at him and slowly lowered the pants on my lap. "Lots of explaining to do today, huh Shire?"

He actually chuckled. "You bet," he snickered, placing himself back onto the couch. Except, this time, he sat just a tad bit closer.

Not that I'm measuring each time or something.

"Just put the shorts on and I'll explain." He ordered, leaning his back against the couch. After letting out a huge sigh, which was, once again, totally unnecessary, I managed to slip the pants on. They were adorable, even if I had no background information on them. "They're Claudine's."

My eyes widened. "Can I take them off?" I requested, gesturing for the belt. That explanation of his was so suggestive.

"No, keep them on." He exhaled. "Just listen, alright? You've been through relationships, right?"

"Of course I have." I said, offended that he had to ask that.

Well, okay, so maybe my relationships were really immature. I mean, I went to an all-girls academy! The chance of me having a relationship with any guy was pretty low, and as far as I can tell, girls never attracted me. I did have a boyfriend my freshman year, though. This was before I was accepted into the Catholic school. It was pretty lame, now that I think about it. We held hands in the hallway, and we kissed on Valentine's Day. We had no classes together because I was in the advanced classes and he was in standard. He wasn't dumb, obviously, or else I wouldn't have dated him. How did we end up together? I'm not sure, it just happened. We were barely friends, actually. Two months after we met, we chatted every now and then in the halls, and then he invited me to some party. I got Matthew to tag along, and when we entered, they were just starting a game of spin-the-bottle. I had to kiss him. Rodger. That was his name. Rodger. So I had to end up kissing Rodger. It was my first kiss, in case you were wondering. Most girls say that their first kiss was either the worst thing, like, I don't know, fat worm entered your mouth, or the best thing ever, like they were in heaven. That's a bunch of crap. My first kiss was just decent. We kissed for three seconds, and then it was over. It was nice, but that's honestly it. The excitement ends there. I didn't particularly want to kiss him; I would have much rather have had to kiss Matthew. But Rodger was a pretty cute guy, so it wasn't like I was begging to get out or something. Lucky for me, they then decided to play seven-minutes-in-heaven. It's that silly game where you have to stay locked in a closet with someone else for, at most, seven minutes. So, Rodger and I were the second pair to get randomly selected. We walked in and he quickly shut the door, like he had an appointment or something. Strange, I know. Moments later, he placed his hands on my hip and told me he liked me. I was shocked. I never actually had a crush on him until he told me he had a crush on me. It was one of those scenarios. Well, we kissed. I'd say about… four minutes? Yup, four minutes of Rodger. Still very decent kisses. Surprisingly, I didn't walk out like we just made out. We walked out as if we always ended up in a dark closet with the option of staying in for seven minutes, but instead using only four. We could've made it five, but he said he didn't want anyone to give us trouble. Fine with me, I guess. Matthew winked at me when I returned to the circle. I think he suspected something. Well, anyhow, after that kissing situation, the following week, Rodger and I were always holding hands and he started walking me to every class and being late to all of his. It was a sweet deal. I felt a bit bad, but hey, it was his choice. One day, Matthew and Delilah were staring at me, and Big Mouth Delilah asked if we were dating. Rodger and I kind of just glanced at each other, and then he smiled and nodded. See? It kind of just happened.

Wasn't I talking to Shire? I need to stop reminiscing on the past, even if it is quite entertaining to think about… I miss Matthew.

"Ana?" Shire hollered, pelting a square pillow at my face. "Ana, what the Hell? You're not even listening and you're the one who asked."

I blushed and rustled my hair. "Sorry… I'm just a little homesick." I murmured. That was, of course, a complete lie. Well, not completely. I was definitely homesick. But my response I gave Shire was an understatement.

"We were all homesick once," the teen pointed out, rubbing his chin.

"What do you mean? You weren't here all your life?"

"I came in, just like you did. So did Absolem, Tannyn, and some of the others."

"You fell in through a hole in your rose garden?"

"Not exactly." He snickered, resting his hand on the arm of the sofa. "We all had a different way of getting here."

I didn't know what to say to that. So many questions zipped through my flustered mind.

Shire shifted on the chair, closer to me. "It's pretty complicated." He added, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. No, duh. "We all have a human life. You know, like you. Your life before Wonderland? Yeah, we all had that."

"What happened?" I asked, even though I was pretty sure he was going to explain everything.

"Well, we fell in somehow. And, just like you, we were a Wonderland kink, walking around aimlessly, meeting all these weirdos." He recalled. "And then, once our purpose was fulfilled or we were able to head back to our human life, part of us stayed. The Wonderland part."

"So…" I trailed off, genuinely confused. "So, you're split? You have two lives?"

"Basically. There's a human version of myself back in your land. I'm the part of myself that stayed here."

Leaning closer, I came up with another ponder. "Do you feel anything from your human side? I mean, does your human side know you exist?"

"Not really. I'm just a memory tucked far away in the back of his mind." He replied slowly. "He probably thinks I was a dream or fantasy."

"And by '_I_', you mean…"

"'_I_', as in the duration of when I was in Wonderland as a human. We both have some memory of that. But, once I got out of here, the part of me that escaped was left with ignorance. Masked by what I thought was conventional. But this part of me," he pointed at himself. "This part, knows everything except what the human side is doing up to this day. I really don't know what I'm doing with my human life." He paused to give me some time to take this all in. It was a lot of stuff to fathom. I'm still a bit puzzled about all this. "In my human life, I have some parent troubles. Probably still do. I rebelled and started wearing black, dressed like a freakin' punk and everything. My best friend told me he found some creepy hole by the liquor store. One day, I checked it out by myself. One mad ugly cat brushed against my leg and scared the Hell outta me, and I fell in."

"How'd you get out of Wonderland?"

"Absolem told me the prophecy. Everyone in Wonderland hates me, and the only way to escape was to make someone fall in love with me."

I took no time to fill in the blanks. "Claudine."

"Yep. It was pretty brutal. Everyone hated me, I felt unwanted, like how my parents made me feel." He continued. "I was always pushed around by the Wonderlanders, and they kept cursing and shunning me. Claudine hated my guts too, but we kept running into each other."

"And you guys kept having little conversations, which turned into big conversations, which turned into her falling in love with you." I concluded quietly.

"Yeah…" he trailed off. It was getting a bit awkward, I'm sure. "Apparently we had the same views on the timekeeper's drop. And after that, we kissed for the very first time, and the sky shook. My human side was back to our dimension, but I remained there. I was left with cat ears, a tail, and these creepy yellow eyes. Made myself a home. People began to warm up to me. Claudine and I was a strong couple for a while. Then, I realized that I wasn't in love with her, and that the only reason I was with her was to go home." His volume was beginning to lower. "I told her about this realization, and she got pissed off. We haven't been talking since."

So are they a couple or not? This is the reality of the matter; she shouldn't get so fired up about it. You need to accept what you have, right? Love is always real, right?

"But we haven't officially broken up, and I don't know if she still actually likes me. I don't even know if I still like here. I'm confused, Ana."

I nodded slowly. I guess I could take that for the moment. He was being honest. "I'm confused too," I murmured.

"About what?"

"About everything. About-"

The lamp flickered, then finally turned off. As ominous as that was, I was too occupied to vent about how I felt. "About how I'm getting home. About the fact that I could never see my-"

_THUD_! Something shut closed. My first guess would be the closet where I got this outfit from. I didn't let that distract me so much. "My mother, and how I feel about-" His hand flew to my knee and stayed there. Distraction.

"How could you talk during a freakin' robbery?" someone gaped from across the room. It was a male voice, for sure. I blinked a few times, trying to adjust my eyes to the pitch black atmosphere, but that would take a while.

Now wasn't the best time to get robbed.


	21. Chapter 21

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

_Dang...Chapter 21, huh? We've gotten quite a long way. Seriously, guess what's gonna be so special about the next chapter? CHAPTER 22 WILL BEGIN ON THE 100TH PAGE OF ANA IN THE LAND OF HEARTS. Hear that guys? We're about to reach the 100th page of my fanfiction! How excitin! And to celebrate? Well..I don't know. I can't do much, heheh. Maybe I'll make the next chapter extra long? I don't know, I'll figure somehting out later. But, for now, sit back, relax, drink some water, and read Chapter 21. Please, please, PLEASE post your comments! I can't tell you how excited I get to read them. And the funny or cool ones? I reply back to! :D So, yeah, be a doll and leave a comment? I hope you find this series funny, cute, mysterious, suspenseful, and altogether entertaining... Please tell me what you think and maybe how I can improve? Also, if you have any questions, please aaaask! The worst I could say is "Sorry, chap. That question will be answered in a later chapter! :)" See? Not so bad. SO don't be a stranger. Anyhoo, start reading now, please. Love you guys! ~Later!_

_~Nuggs~_

**Chapter 21**

Shire chuckled, his low voice rumbling in my ear. "You idiots have perfect timing," he snickered, leaning over my lap.

The lights came back on, and Shire leaned back on the couch, his hand still on my knee. I glanced up to see who the heck these mysterious thieves are. It was not one, not two, but three handsome guys standing by the closet. The one closest to the closet was leaning against it, and the other two were standing next to him, their arms crossed all high and mighty.

"If we're gonna make robbing a living, might as well have some fun with it, right?" The one leaning against the closet pointed out.

Who are these guys? Friends of his? Or a bunch of pesky thieves who robs Shire so much that they have a whole routine with him? Shire smirked at the two crossing their arms. "I see your henchman still don't have their own personalities."

"I'm tellin' ya, man. They're real deal henchmen." The thief sighed, shaking his head like he were a proud father. "Who's the hot kink?" he asked, nodding his head in my direction.

"This right here?" Shire asked, patting my thigh. "Anastasia Liddell."

"Why's that sound familiar? Hey, Liddell, do I know you?"

Alarmed at the direct approach, my cheeks went bright pink. Don't judge me. "Um, I don't think so." I whispered, my voice hoarse.

"Jax, she's from the prophecy, for crying out loud." Shire laughed, somehow amused that 'Jax' didn't remember this.

"Mm," he hummed. "Makes sense. I'm Jax, chief bandit of the woods," he greeted, reaching a hand out.

It seemed safe, so I gripped his hand with mine and gave him a quick shake. "Nice to meet you." Now was the perfect time to give him a onceover. First of all, his green eyes were surrounded by a dark shade of gray. He had one of those paperboy hats of a brown color. On his left hand was a dark green glove, but his right hand was bare. His hair was a very dark gray, peeking out of the hat in the front and back of his head. And, oh gosh, he had a tail. My eyes widened as it stared at the gray foot-long tail lined with black stripes. Perfect. He was a raccoon-dude. Fits his character. As he took off his hat to give his head a scratch, I caught sight of little gray ears, tipped with black. This is priceless. His two henchmen were handsome, but kind of plain. They were tall with broad shoulders while Jax was on the slender side. Their hair was jet black. They were wearing sunglasses, so I couldn't describe their eyes, but they both had a little mole on their left cheek, which is always fun. Gives them spunk.

"Are you two…friends?" I asked, glancing between Cat Boy and Raccoon Bandit.

Raccoon Bandit shrugged his shoulders. "You know what they say. Nothing brings too people together faster than the hatred of a third person." He snickered, clasping his hands together. The glove mad a loud popping noise. "Crap, my bad. Left the bait in the glove compartment."

Glove compartment? I held back a laugh. Everything here is so literal and… makes more sense. We have so many words that don't actually mean what they should. Like the word 'concur'. I always assumed it meant "I object" or "I don't agree", but instead, it means you agree. And the word 'incarcerated'. Did you think it meant burnt to death? Well, we're all wrong. It means to be imprisoned. Crazy.

Shire glanced over at me. "You ranting in that messed up head of yours?" he asked, beginning to recognize the face and silence I created when I was busy comparing, describing, or critically analyzing things. I tended to do that a lot. "It's becoming more obvious every time you do it."

"She do it a lot?" Jax questioned, flicking his finger in my direction. I felt self-conscious.

"All the time." Cat Boy scoffed. "The kink even does it when I'm trying to tell her something."

"Where's your other kink anyways?"

"How should I know?" Shire asked with a sudden death glare. Geez, was this kid bipolar? Calm your hormones, kitty. "You know our situation,"

"Oh, right, right," Raccoon Lad sighed, holding both hands up in a stop-talking-I-get-it-I-was-mistaken kind of way. "The _situation_." He cooed, wiggling his eyebrows.

"You say it like it's something scandalous." Shire snickered mockingly, clearly amused by the bandit standing before us. I wasn't amused, though. I was upset. The fella interrupted our conversation and called me a kink. What's a kink? What word does it associate with back on… Human land? I guess I have to call it that now. Or maybe just my dimension?

"Am I giving you chills?" Jax wondered, all eyes looking over at me now.

"No," I blurted unthinkingly, shaking my head. They seemed to be interested in tougher girls who don't take crap. I think. "But your henchmen are making me feel really awkward." I admitted. Couldn't help myself. "What are their names? Do they even talk to each other? Do they talk to you?"

By this time, the pesky raccoon was digging through the closet again. "What?" he yelled from behind the wooden doors. I didn't even bother to repeat myself, and he recognized that his stalling wasn't working. I know he heard me. "Yeah, they talk. Guess how they coordinate their outfits?" he snickered. "I think one of their names is, like, Donavan?"

"Is that even a name?" Shire asked, totally disgusted.

How rude. Back in my dimension, that was a pretty nice name for a guy…

Both henchmen shake their heads, one of them looking offended and one looking dejected. Poor guys. If they were my henchmen, they'd know that I know their names, and I'd make them less shy and not force them to coordinate their outfits. Unless they like matching; if they do, then I'm totally cool with that too.

"Are you sure?" Jax wondered. "I could've sworn one of you had the name of Donavan. At least, you look like you should've been named that."

"No one would name their kid that if they want them to have a good forest rep," Shire scoffed, shaking his head in disgust.

Forest rep? Is that like…street cred? This is priceless.

"Ah, dammit." Jax murmured as a shoe dropped out of the sack attached to his hip. Strange, I didn't notice it earlier. He bent over to pick it up. "So what you two doing, anyways? Sitting in here. It's so damn dark."

"I can see perfectly fine," Shire pointed out, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah but what about the dunce on the couch?"

I tilted my head to the side, assuming that was another reference to me. "I can see okay. The lamp is giving off some light…" I trailed off, not comfortable talking in front of this guy. He seemed sketchy to me. I didn't trust him.

"Put down Claudine's shoe. Geez, you never give up." Shire complained, already getting tired of the bandit. "What're you going to do with it, anyways? It's one shoe."

"Why is it in your tree?" Jax questioned, strolling over closer to the couch. "This oughtta be a good story,"

That statement made me cringe.

"It's not that amazing." Shire yawned, leaning back into the sofa. "This one night, she decided to go on a late night walk without me. I was sleeping on this couch, and then she knocked on my door and came inside. She asked if she could stay for the night because she was too sleepy to walk all the way home. It was cold that day, so I let her borrow some of my clothes that covered more of her body to sleep in. She forgot to take back the clothes she left here. That's the end of that."

"Sounds suggestive," Raccoon Boy cackled, plopping himself onto the couch. "What time is it?" Gosh, this guy was easily distracted. We couldn't stay on one topic for long.

"How the Hell should I know?" Shire gaped, holding a hand up as if he were about to slap us all upside our faces. "How the Hell would anyone know? Everything's so damn messed up. You never know when it's time to sleep or wake up, if you're gonna be late for a date, if it's gonna be freakin cold or not? It sucks. You ask someone what time is it, and they all give different hours!"

"Shire," I murmured, placing my hand on his forearm. He needed to relax a bit. His volume was going higher than my ears could handle. "Is it just time and weather that's making you so angry about this timekeeper trouble?" I questioned. I mean, I understand why you'd be mad if the time was never the same when there was five feet between; it gets frustrating. But is it necessary to rant all the time about it? It's got to be something more than that, and I haven't noticed it until now.

"Of course there's more. Petty stuff like time isn't the only problem."

The bandit rolled his eyes in agreement. "We're not unified anymore, Liddell."

"We're all on our own." Shire said, finishing Jax's thought. "Think about it: we become freakin adults when we're only twelve years old. Ms. Queenie amputates any body part caught in a crime, no matter how small the crime actually is. The kingdom people are always so damned frightened to leave the walls and check out the outskirts. The knights of the kingdom are all split up and the lower class ones have such degrading standards to live by. Everyone gossips. Most of the smiles are fake. No one likes sharing time anymore. Everyone's always quick to blame someone else for their problems.

"I've lived her for a while now, and before the Queen turned eighteen, she was less idiotic. She actually wanted to know our problems. She wasn't selfish. She wasn't as fat as a pregnant flowercow. She let any knight or soldier speak, no matter the color of their shield. She didn't cut off people's hips for bumping into her. The gate to go in and out of the kingdom was way bigger than it is now. The guards never asked why you wanted to leave or exit. The locals wouldn't look at you funny when you walk in wearing black and purple when everyone else is dressed in red. The Queen welcomed all visitors in her throne room and speaks to her directly. She used to bow to _you_ when you entered the room, then you'd do the same. She would be okay with letting you touch her hand. She'd give you a personal tour of her castle rather than leaving you on your own to explore. She used to care, Ana." Shire's voice went low, all quiet like. "She used to care."

"There's no unity." Jax added, nodding in agreement to Shire's huge ranting bit. "There's no unity anywhere, pretty much."

"Look at us, Ana," Shire barked, "All of the outsiders… Have you noticed something different about us compared to the people within the gates of the Queen's little stupid world?"

I hesitated to reply; being put on the spot really wasn't intent. "Um," I blurted, glancing at Jax and Shire. I wasn't catching on to any differences yet. "Well, for starters, you guys tend to mix up the colors you wear… Most of the kingdom people wear red and black and white." I commented. "Except for the farmers." I added, recalling that Stevie wasn't wearing much red or black or white on him when we met.

"Look at the bigger picture, Ana." Shire sighed, rubbing his brow with his wrist. "Look past the clothes."

Did that mean I'm supposed to picture them naked? My face began to flush at the thought, but I couldn't be immature right now. I mean, at school, making things dirty was totally hilarious. Unfortunately for me, I didn't have the choice. I had to think from the mind of Shire…unless he was the type to imagine people naked… I mean, Claudine's pants ended up in here somehow, so…

"Damn it, Ana. Look at us!" Shire yelled, standing to his feet in anger. He grabbed the hat from Jax's head and pulled it off. Surprise! Jax had two big, gray raccoon ears sticking out; a black striped on each one. The bandit sneered and reached for his hat back.

That's when it hit me. I looked at the tails, the eyes, and the ears. I looked at their clothing as well, just to be sure. Yup, I knew what they were communicating. "There's no animal people in the kingdom." I murmured, cocking my head to the side.

"Ding, ding, ding!" Jax cried out, finally snatching his hat back from Shire. "We've got a winner. There's no hybrids living in the kingdom."

It's true. So far, I haven't seen any. Stevie is totally human. All the peasants and villagers were. The soldiers were, as far as I could tell. The Queen wasn't. The guards aren't. The maids and butlers and chefs weren't. The street merchant who gave me the "orange" wasn't part animal either. "So, what you're saying is," I began, trying to clear things up. "You're allowed to visit the kingdom, but you can't live there?"

Both boys nodded. Hm. They couldn't even be permanent residents. It's kind of like the United States. Over there, they were a little bit similar with immigrants, right? How they didn't allow just anyone to be a citizen? Some were considered residents, and others were illegal and only could hang around for a small amount of time—never to be a citizen or resident. Wonderland isn't as perfect as I thought. "What if you enter and live there anyways? How could they tell?"

"There's a census," Shire stated. "Plus, those guards always ask us our business for entering. Can't get past them without giving them your life story."

I'm sure he was exaggerating…right?

"And they write down every time you walk in and out those freakin' walls, Liddell. Like stalkers." Jax added, shaking his head in disbelief.

"But the Queen can't possibly hate _all_ of the hybrids," I insisted, furrowing my eyebrows. "What about William? She actually likes him! Well, not really, but she lets him into her throne room, and it seems like he works for her."

"That's because William is a neutral." Shire replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Sure, he's a hybrid, but he does reports on the lands outside the kingdom and shares them with the Queen. Any suspicious activity, dangerous characters, the usual."

"That's why we can't really hate 'em," Raccoon Boy stated, adjusting the hat on his head. "He's a hybrid, he doesn't take a specific side, and the Queen actually tolerates him. Gotta respect that. He worked to get her as an ally."

"To be honest, I wish I could do that." Shire admitted, rubbing the back of his neck and walking towards his closet. "I wouldn't feel like I'm being forced or watched or anything. I'd just be completely free and not have to suffer from people hating me."

"People aren't a fan of me either, Cat Man," Jax pointed out, snapping his fingers at the slumped minions standing behind him. "Yo, Donavan. Donnie. Dan. Dylan. Whatever the Hell your names are, let's get out of here." He called as the two boys opened the door. "You mind if we take your girl?" Raccoon Boy teased, taking my wrist toward the door.

I looked nervously to the right where Shire was positioned. "Where are we going?"

"Why would-" Shire watched me carefully, and then looked over at Jax. "Just don't kill her," he muttered, rolling his eyes and walking over to the half-finished painting on the wall.

"'Course not, just gonna show her around."

"I know the land pretty good," I concurred, putting my index finger up like it would help me make my point.

"There's way more than what you've seen, Liddell," the teen chuckled, patting my shoulder with his gloved hand. "For instance, you haven't seen _my_ turf yet." Cat Boy immediately turned around and raised his eyebrows in shock.

As we walked through the wooden door, Shire slumped his shoulders and sighed.

"Just don't get her killed."

And the door shut behind us.


	22. Anniversary

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

*****Statistics: According to the views, CHAPTER SEVEN OF ANA IN THE LAND OF HEARTS HAS BEEN THE MOST VIEWED OUT OF ALL THE CHAPTERS. Why? Beats me. xD Check that out.**

_**Welcome...this chapter isn't actually a chapter! Shock! :D Lately I've been thinking: Ana has been giving you guys facts and small snippets of information about her life back home, but you never really got a taste of it, have you? Well, I'm here to stimulate your taste buds! :D That's right! This section is actually a short story taking place before Wonderland. It gives you some more thought input about Ana's father as well, who, as you should all know, is deceased. Dead. It also features a character that you've heard of! Well, besides Ana, at least. There's Matthew! Yup. Sound familiar? Good. Ana had mentioned him in a few chapters back-she described him as her bestfriend back home. I want you guys to see how he is before I...yeah. I've been thinking about having him end up in Wonderland in some later chapter...but I really want your thoughts about that! So, read this short story and then comment/review on it-I'd like to know if you like his character and also if I should add him into the story line. He could be a dunce! xD Sorry, a little Wonderland-dialect humor. -w- But, seriously, think about it, alright? Sorry I haven't posted Chapter 22, I'm definitely working on it. I hope this story will boost your patience a bit, school has been very...schoolish, and you know how that goes. -.- Thanks for staying loyal and reading! Here's "Anniversary".**_

Anniversary

"What time are you coming, again?" I asked him. I was sprawled across my bright green bed, kicking my legs back and forth as I nuzzled the phone under my chin.

"Geez, Anastasia," Matthew spat back through the phone. "I'm heading over there soon. It's beautiful outside; I'm taking my time."

He should know by now that I hate it when he calls me Anastasia. It's too formal. Matt would call me that any time he teased me, which was often. Yes, I was getting impatient with him, but I thought he would be here a bit sooner. "Alright, fine. Bye." I groaned, hanging up and tossing the cordless phone at my pillow. I know that was rude, but he knows I mean no harm. At least, I hope so. I rolled off of my bed and flung my closet doors open, rummaging through the clothing like a raccoon would in a dumpster. I snatched the white strapless dress with purple marigold patterning—Dad loved marigolds. I actually picked the outfit the night before so that I wouldn't be in a rush. Once I slipped the outfit on and brushed back my long blond curls, I squinted into the mirror. Usually I wouldn't get this dolled up for Matthew, but today was special. I could just see my father beaming at me if he were able to witness this dress. Years ago, in our garden, Dad and I would plant marigolds of all sorts of colors and species. Once every bloom, I'd take a few to keep in the house. On Dad's birthday, I bought and hand painted a clay vase with a dark green hue. I packed soil inside of it and planted a flower in it. I never told him what flower will sprout from the seed, but weeks later, there was just no need to tell him because he could see it now. A fiery orange French marigold was standing proud at an amazing seven inches tall.

Now that same little flower is sulking in the corner of my room. It always reminds me of Dad, not just because I gave it to him, but because it resembled him. As sad as that seems, I prefer to keep it that way. I paced over to that very vase and took it off of my window sill. "If only Dad was as stubborn as you," I murmured, scrambling out of my bedroom and down the stairs. I was actually a little shocked to see my aunts on time for once. Aunt Edith and Aunt Lorina typically arrived at family occasions "fashionably" late—which is actually true because they always look pampered up when they decide to show up. So, as expected, I was showed with "look how beautiful you are" and "look at my baby girl, growing up!" from my aunts, grandmother, and uncles. I gave everyone their uniform, friendly hug, and greeted my cousins who don't bother to compliment me. Well, except Gina, a little three-year-old brunette who always finds something to praise me about. She's an obvious favorite. I scooped her up with my free arm and kissed her temple.

"I like your flower." Gina squealed as I set her back onto the hardwood floor.

"Really?" I wondered, glancing at the vase. "This old thing?"

"No," my cousin replied, pointing at my outfit. "I'm talking about your dress."

I smiled and ruffled her hair, my way of basically dismissing the conversation. I was kind of hoping she was showing appreciation for this dying marigold rather than my dress. I set the vase on the chestnut table beneath a small picture frame that held a photo of my father. His once blond, shaggy hair has been in a buzz-cut since his own dad came back from the navy. He wore a dark red polo, the collar folded up on one side. He was beaming, and I could've sworn he was holding back laughter. In front of the vase were five thick candles, a small fire blazing atop each one.

"Ana, go see who's at the door." I heard Aunt Edith call out from the kitchen. I nodded, even though she probably couldn't see me considering I'm in the living room. Swimming through the pool of relatives, I reached the door and opened it wide. I threw my arms around the guest. "It's about time,"

"Well your good-bye from earlier wasn't very inviting, so I went even slower." Matthew chuckled, resting his chin on the top of my head—it was something he always did whenever we hugged. "The fact that I took so long made you miss me even more. It's better this way."

"You and your reasoning," I snickered, finally forcing myself to let go of him. We both took a step back.

"Don't leave the door open!" Aunt Lorina hollered from inside.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "I think I'm ready." I whispered, escorting Matt into the house.

He squeezed my hand and we headed right into the dining room. "I'll keep you stable," he assured me.

Now that everyone was here (Matt's parents arrived ten minutes after their son's arrival), we all stood behind a chair at the dining table. I live in a two-story Victorian-style house with a great dining room. The dining table is actually about the size of a queen-sized bed, but we had two foldable ones in the basement, so now there were three queen-bed-sized tables, back to back. It's long enough to actually reach into the living room, a place of which I actually prefer to eat near anyways. So, Matt and I positioned at the far end of the table where it came into the living room. My mom was standing tall, opposite from me. She held a wine glass in her hand, lifting it up high for our attention. The room was silence, and she opened her mouth to speak.

"Thank you, thank you," Mom began, lowering the glass. Anytime she got a group's attention, she always thanked them. "I know this was really out of the blue, but I think this is a really important occasion. The idea of paying acknowledgement of the day of Conrad's birth and death." She paused to gaze at me. Yes, she was looking me straight in the eye; I felt terrible for a moment. "It's been a huge loss, but today isn't about grieving. It's about celebrating the fact that we were able to even have such a wonderful man in our lives."

And, as expected, everyone shared a comment or two about my father. It was very cliché, all of them about how great he was or how nice he was or his looks or whatever. Honestly, I didn't want to say anything. This wasn't because I didn't like my dad; this is due to the fact that everyone was expecting me to say this fantastic, catching statement that will transition us right into the eating portion of the night. I never actually thought about what I had to say. So, when it was my turn, my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, family-friends, and my mother smiled at me, most of them giving sympathetic, pitiful looks. I hated it.

"Uh, hello." I croaked, taking a moment to clear my throat. Matt, his hand under the table, poked my knee and I was immediately reminded to stand up. "After a father's death, most would assume that a young girl like me would end up calling him Daddy as if I always had. Well, I don't plan on that. I've always called him Dad and I always will, even if I can't really talk to him." I nervously glanced around the room, trying to read everyone's expression. Besides the usual smile from Gina, everyone had a blank, anxious look to them. Their foreheads crinkled slightly as if something was stressing them out.

"Um, everything I'm feeling is hard to put into words. Dad and I used to hang out in the backyard and plant in the garden. He, uh, he liked marigolds, especially. A while ago I gave him a vase with a seed planted in it and refused to tell him what will grow. Later he saw this French marigold growing up strong, and at that moment I truly believed that he'd look at me and say something. Anything." My voice was cracking again. "But, despite my dad being a complete mute, his face told me everything. So, just the way I'm telling you that I can't really express how I feel about all of this, my face will probably give you the whole story. So, in a way, Dad's still in me, and if we didn't have this celebration, I probably would have never realized this." After scanning the room one more time, I quickly sat down on my chair. There was an excruciating moment of silence, but I felt someone tap my knee again. I glanced at Matt and he gave me a shy smile. I guess I did okay. "Oh, and I love him!" I squeaked.

"Thank you, Ana," I caught a funny look coming from my mother, but didn't really put much thought into it. Mom stood up again and leaned over the table. "Now, we eat!" she giggled, holding up a silver fork and spoon and winking over at me.

She didn't need to say that twice; we all stood and lined up in the kitchen. Gina stood in front of me while Matt positioned himself behind.

"I want those baby carrots," Gina told me after I offered to serve her food. "And some mash-shut potatoes." I gave her all of the above as well as a drumstick of baked chicken. My little cousin thanked me and bolted to the dining room.

"You want me to serve your food too?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at the boy behind me.

Matthew chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I'll take some mash-shut potatoes."

So, in the end, my best friend and I took the same foods: mashed potatoes with gravy, baked chicken, green beans, and macaroni and cheese. My mom gave me the evil eye as I brushed past her with my plate. I knew that look. It's the how-come-you-took-macaroni-instead-of-rice look. Well, Mom, you're never too old for mac & cheese.

I sat in my chair and ate rather quickly. Within twenty minutes, my plate was licked clean with a bit of extra gravy lingering on the rim. Matthew offered to take our plates and put them away, so I headed into the living room before anyone was done eating. It was empty in there. The only thing keeping me company at the time was this golden retriever-sized stuffed bear peeking behind the couch. I named it Matthew when I was six years old after I claimed that he and I were married, though I tell everyone else that his name is Fluffernutter. I don't sleep with Matthew/Fluffernutter because if I actually did and somebody asked, I'd lie—I'm genuinely not a fan of lying. I patted the bear on his scruffy head and walked over to the frame of my dad. Knowing the Liddell family, it'll probably be another twenty minutes before they're done eating and chatting, so I took the opportunity to actually speak to my dad. I hadn't spoken to him in a long time, but I thought that maybe today was an appropriate time for that.

After checking to see if anyone was snooping, I let out a deep breath and tilted my head at the candles. "Hey Dad," I murmured, reaching forward and poking the framed photograph with my index finger. "Alright, I know you can't reply to me considering you couldn't even speak when you were living but-" I paused. That was a pretty insensitive statement, but I really don't have a way with words like Matthew did. "I know you're a great listener whether you are really able to answer or not."

I jumped at the sound of clinking glasses. When I glanced over at the dining room doorway, I noticed that there were wine glasses behind held up high, so I figured that Mom is beginning to feel a bit depressed again. She always took out the wine when she was feeling down. "Sometimes I look at Mom and wonder why the heck she chose you, you know." I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. "And I'm sure you wonder the same thing sometimes, right?" He didn't budge. "But, now that you're dead, I'm starting to see why she loves you so much. You're a fantastic listener, and Mom is a talker—there's no doubt about that." Ah, my voice began to crack again. "You're really smart, too. Plus, you always know what to do when we're upset. Anytime I got mad at you or Mom disagreed with you, you weren't too pushy or independent. Dad, your reactions were perfect. Remember when grandpa died and Mom cried all night? I was so quiet because I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to say…" I trailed off, wiping my eye with my wrist. "But you knew what to do, and I bet you knew what to say too, if you could talk. You picked me up, Dad. I was fourteen years old; too old to be held by my father, but you picked me up anyways and stood at the doorway of the room. Do you remember what you did when Mom turned around and saw us? With your free hand, you opened up. You lifted that arm in the air and held it. You held it until Mom got the strength to walk over to us and take the offer of a hug. We held that position for so long that Mom's tears dried up by the time we pulled away. You may not be able to speak, Dad, but I think you're the most comforting man that ever walked this earth."

"Now why couldn't your speech be like that?" A deep voice said. The friendly tone seemed like it could be coming from anywhere in the room. I looked at the dining room doorway, only to see Matt pacing towards me. "Did you say something?" I asked.

"I haven't said a word since you started talking to the photograph." He answered, shrugging his shoulders.

I furrowed my eyebrows and cautiously glanced over at the photograph. "I-I was talking to Dad," I muttered, shaking my head in disbelief. "I think he heard what I said, Matt."

"Of course he did," my friend whispered, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Hey, Mr. Liddell." He greeted, waving his free hand at my Dad's face. Matthew waited a few seconds before he continued to talk. "Hah, that's pretty funny. You were always the kidder," he laughed.

At that point, I knew Matt was just fibbing, but I appreciated his effort. We stood in silence for a few minutes, his chin on the top of my head. We stared at that picture of Dad.

"Time for dessert! Ana! Matthew!" Aunt Edith called from the kitchen.

Matt wiggled his eyebrows at me and made a beeline towards the voice, but I stopped in my tracks. It had been three hundred sixty-five days since I've seen my dad breathe. I kissed my father on the cheek and smiled. "Happy birthday, Daddy."


	23. Chapter 22

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

_**Oh goodie! I'm all done Chapter 22! Well, thanks for waiting! I see I got a couple of new fans and followers. Thank you! That motivated me a lot! ^.^ Anyhoo, this chpater is a nice length, so I hope you think it was worth the wait. Report cards came out, and I ended up with 6 A's and 1 B, so I'm really pumped that my GPA is 3.86! :D I don't really have much to say except thank you for sticking around. :) I hope you still enjoy reading this, and please don't forget to share your comments and reviews! Here's Chapter 22! ;D**_

Chapter 22

So I've decided to totally ignore Shire's extremely ominous comment about Jax possibly being the cause of my death. The characters here in Wonderland always have something interesting to say, and only half of them actually made sense to me at the time, so I really didn't know who to believe and take seriously. I doubted Jax would get me killed. I think he appreciated my existence. I think.

"Uh," I blurted as we began to approach the entrance of Wonderland's Once Lived. "How far do you live? Are we heading in the cemetery?"

Jax glanced over at me from the corner of his eye, barely giving me much acknowledgment. Nice. "The cemetery…?" he wondered to himself. Then, he finally realized that Wonderland's Once Lived _is_ the cemetery, and gave me a legit response. "Oh, WOL. Yeah, we have to head right through here. But, if we keep on the path, we could go straight across without having that bandersnatch harass us."

"The bandersnatch is actually pretty nice, you know. You just have to give him a chance." I concurred, swinging my hands.

"Nice or not, he's still gonna do his job, sweetheart." Jax concurred, shaking his head and speeding ahead of me. As soon as we passed the iron fence of Wonderland's Once Lived, the sky, as expected, practically fell into darkness. The grass, the trees, the ground—it all looked like different shades of black. All I heard was the footsteps that were coming from me. That's right; I couldn't even hear Jax's steps very well. He's a full-time raccoon bandit, after all. He's an expert at saying quiet. "Geez, what are you? The Queen? Lighten your steps, will ya?"

I rolled my eyes and stumbled forward a bit, landing, of course, face flat onto the ground. Great. "It's hard," I moaned sitting up from the dark grounds of the cemetery. "I can't see anything!"

"Quit whining," he scolded, sighing and reaching a hand out to help me up. Once I stood back to my feet, he took my wrist. "And stay close."

A few more minutes passed as we paced forward. My footsteps were still pretty heavy in comparison to Jax. I think I alarmed the jabberwocky too, because I heard a deep grumble coming from the right. "Dammit," Jax growled. "Your freakin' Queen feet woke up the troll." We both stiffened, daring not to move off of the path. Mr. Bandernsnatch slowly approached us, his wide body trudging quickly towards us. He paused as soon as he watched the path we stood on with his one yellow eye.

I flicked my hand in his direction as a shy greeting. "Hello, bandersnatch." I whispered, smiling nervously at him. It's been a while, right? I can't even tell because of the stupid times here.

The gray creature with dark black spots squinted at me, his several rows of teeth hidden because he wasn't snarling anymore. He sat down on the dark ground and nodded at me slightly.

I grinned and crossed my arms, elbowing Jax playfully. "See, me and him are tight."

Even though there was poor lighting, I instantly knew that Jax was giving me a strange look. "Tight?" he repeated, his voice cracking slightly. "You're such a dunce. Let's keep walkin'." He groaned, escorting me forward again.

We trailed forward for another couple minutes until I finally let him hear my complaint. "You know, where I'm from, dunce means the person is slow-witted and completely incapable of learning."

I felt his eyes glanced over at me. They were mocking me, I bet. "And dunce, we're everybody else is from, means you're not from here." He pointed out. "I guess I see where the word is derived from."

"Are you saying that foreigners are stupid?" I gaped.

"No, I'm saying they're ignorant." Raccoon Boy quickened his pace. I could see his surprisingly white teeth glisten as he grinned at what was apparently in front of us. All I saw was a barbed wire fence—nothing to be so gleeful about, honestly. But this bandit gained some sort of pleasure from the view, and I decided not to comment because it could make me sound stupid…again. "So, all the way through the Wonderland Once Lived cemetery is Bandit County."

"Wow, I know where to find you now." I said sarcastically. So far, I really didn't plan on wanting to drop by for a visit.

"You just follow the path and take a left on the fork in the road." He added playfully, jogging over to the creepy fencing. "Come on,"

I gave the fence a sketchy look. "Uh, how are we getting on the other size, exactly?" I squeaked.

"It's not as hard as finding the Queen a dress, Liddell." He scoffed, poking the fence. "We're just gonna climb over."

I watched him as he placed both hands on the strips of metal and hoist himself upwards. You see, I wasn't exactly the star athlete in gym class. Scratch that, I can't even be considered an actual student in that class. Maybe I'm exaggerating. I'm pretty good at anything to do with cardiovascular endurance—but when it comes to muscle and balance? Oh, stop right there. I suck. I placed my hand on the fence, mimicking Jax's actions. This was nothing like the rope-net climbing. It's so much harder. My toe couldn't even fit in the holes of the fence. Is this to keep certain types of people out? How do little kids and old people get in and out of here? Fly? I managed to fit my fingers through the holes, boosting myself up quite slowly. Okay, so the fence was seven feet tall, and since I'm five feet, that means that I only had about two or three feet to climb before my head could see over the fence. By the time my head was able to do just that, my arms began to shake.

"Uh, Jax," I called nervously. He was already on the other side of the fence, staring up at me with a frown. "Now what?"

"Now you hoist yourself over it." He grumbled, waving his left hand in the air.

I groaned and swung my leg upward. Alright, that's one. I used the rest of my energy to make it over the fence, but I couldn't get a good grip on the metal wires. I guess I must have no hand-eye coordination. Then again, my hands were sweating as if they ran a marathon. Anyways, I toppled to the left and didn't have enough time to react to the fact that I was falling because it was such a short fall. Plus, the five foot ten raccoon boy caught me in his arms, bridal style.

"Oh, thanks," I murmured under my breath, stifling the urge to blush.

Jax rolled his eyes and lowered me to the ground. "Shire told me not to get you killed. This is the one time I keep my promise, Liddell." He warned, then straightened and walked onward.

I scrambled to keep up with him. Even though he was way ahead of me, I could actually see him—the cemetery's time frame didn't affect Bandit County.

"So who chooses the times for Bandit County?" I suddenly asked, swinging my arms because my inner child was getting the best of me.

Jax looked at me over his shoulder and smirked. "We don't have one person who sets the times. We go by the way your realm goes: twenty four hours in a day. Everything is consecutive and in order. There's no permanent hour we have to stay on for the rest of our lives." He explained. "The time of day affects what people do, right?"

"Of course,"

"Right. So who likes having to do the same activities just because it's not bright outside or dark outside or the weather is out of whack?"

"I'd hate that!" I gasped, furrowing my eyebrows. Back home, I loved planting the flowers in the backyard garden during the day. But at night, it was just nice to sit by the patches of white roses and orange marigolds and simply watch everything. Nature Freak.

"You feel me, babe?" He chuckled, obviously amused by my unnecessarily loud volume. Jax suddenly stopped his speed walking to lean against a poorly built sign with white painted letters on it. _GET OUT_. Lovely. "Ah, welcome to my home: Bandit County. Where no one has to like you!" He flicked the sign with his index finger and walked past it.

All of this walking began to get much more entertaining. First of all, the houses were really cute and small and unstable. Most of them had a total of one or two windows, and they all were on the ground (not in a tree, like my feline friend). Once we passed what seemed like the outskirt neighborhoods of Bandit County, we entered the real deal town place. There were little shops. I don't mean the kind that you walk into, pick up what you want, and then pay. I'm talking about the kind that's outside and the vendor is behind the counter on the inside, and you request what you want, pay, and they give it to you. Cute. There was also one motel; it was a bit eerie looking since the windows were boarded up and the door wasn't actually connected to the doorframe. What tourist would live in Bandit County anyways? As cute as I describe it, it's quite creepy and unappealing to actually be a resident. Anyways, the shops were all positioned in a curved line, so the town looked like a big circle in which the shops made up the circumference. The stands, of course, we're resting against each other. There was a good ten feet between each small shop. Two of the shops were vacant. In the center of the town includes the Motel de Creep and a couple little buildings that I couldn't quite tell what their purpose was—except for one. It was definitely a fortune-telling tent.

"I know this place is raggedy-lookin'," Jax suddenly admitted, leading me into the circle. "But it's more exciting than any other place in Wonderland."

"What do you do here?" I gaped, glancing around. The sky was a bit orange, so I assumed it was the afternoon.

"_Here_?" he repeated. "Tree-climbin', stealin', robberies, prankin', throwin' things, harassin' the old people," he listed thoughtfully. "The funny part is: there's no prisons here! No legit consequences for committing what others would call a 'crime'! There's no officials or officers here to stop anyone from doing wrong or encourage anyone to do what's right. If you rob someone's house, you ain't gonna get in trouble unless the victim comes and finds you and gives you a taste of your own medicine. We handle our own consequences. I love it."

"How…neat?"

Jax paused, taking my wrist and pulling me behind one of the shop booths. "Keep on the down low," he whispered, glancing left and right as if this were a secret. "The folks around here love to mess with outsiders."

I gulped. "Mess with? L-like how?"

Raccoon Boy shrugged his shoulders with a sly smile. "You think I would know?" He shrugged his shoulders innocently and then peeked out to check the premises.

"So how exactly will I keep on the down low?"

He took my wrist and began to walk out of the town's circle and through the outskirts again. "I don't know."

I rolled my eyes as he tugged me deeper into the woods/outskirts. Now where were we going? We stopped by this one brown, wooden shack with a few windows. The welcome mat read '_Been there. Stole that_'. Cute? "This is your house, isn't it?"

"Yep," Jax answered, poking the front door. It was actually connected to the house. He must be one of the richer citizens around here. "My henchmen dudes live here too."

We simply stood by the door, not bothering to step inside. I doubt there was much in there anyways. "Why did they choose to live their life as your henchmen?" I asked.

He hesitated to speak for once. "I did them a huge favor." He murmured, then started pulling me away from his home and through the woods again. "I can tell you the story. I'll show you where it started."

Raccoon Boy led me all the way to some hill. This is where the story starts? I didn't want to say anything about this; I knew I just needed to stay tuned and some things will make sense. We slowly trudged up the hill, the walk getting harder and harder considering this particular hill was gradually getting steeper. When we made it to the top, I could see a figure with a huge hat on, sitting on the bench that was positioned at the very of the hill. I squinted, unable to recognize the dark figure. Maybe it was just some bandit having some time alone.

"What is this place?" I whispered, trying to keep quiet so we wouldn't disturb the stranger. I felt myself slowly being pushed until I was about two feet away from falling off of the edge. And wow, what a fall that would be. I didn't realize we were so high up. I wasn't even expecting a cliff, yet there we were.

"This is The End." Jax replied, putting his hands on his hips and staring at the view. All that was visible was a bunch of rocks at the bottom, as well as a few trees. Beyond that large area, though, was a continuation of the vast lands of Bandit County. "It's the best place to kill yourself."

I gulped. "W-what? Like s-suicide?" I shivered. That topic was always too deep for me.

"Sure, it's what this cliff is known for." He shrugged as he closed his eyes. He didn't even look at me. "People of all sorts would climb the fence and travel all the way through Bandit County to visit this hill."

"Why? The view isn't all that great…" I trailed off, praying I wasn't insulting his land. I suddenly felt his eyes on me.

"Yeah, but it makes you think." He exhaled, his face softening. "Specifically about life. When people go here, they always end up thinking deeply about their own life. And when they think, sometimes they want to end it. Hence The End. It could be the end of your old life and you could start thinking better, or it could just be the end of yourself as a whole. Depends."

"That's terrible!" I squeaked, a bit louder than necessary.

"Ana?" I heard a boyish voice call out from my left. Jax and I both turned, only to see that the figure sitting on the bench was definitely not a stranger.

"Tarrant!" I gaped, throwing my arms around the boy. I haven't seen him in a while. "Demetrix has been looking for you, you know! He's worried sick!"

That's when I noticed he wasn't even wearing his trademark green hat. It was on the ground in front of him, his gray hair being revealed. It wasn't an old-looking gray hair; it looked youthful and nice on him. Even though he looked great, I couldn't help but feel strange about it. I felt like that hat completed him. Tarrant wasn't smiling. "I know," he laughed nervously. "I left to go think about some things."

"We missed you,"

"Excluding me, of course." Jax chimed in, rolling his eyes.

Tarrant shuddered and picked up his hat from the ground, staring at it. His smile was fake now. "I missed you guys, too. How's my garden?"

He was trying so hard to seem happy, but it just wasn't working for me. "It's fine. Demetrix has been looking after it just fine like he always had. Now why is your hat off?"

"I don't know," he croaked, putting the object onto his lap.

"When did you take it off? How'd you end up in Bandit County anyways?" This place didn't seem like the area he'd have fun in.

"Well, I was first going to go take a walk because I love walks!" he cheered, actually sounding positive for a moment. "Then I heard about the fortune teller, so I went to this area of Wonderland to get her opinion! She was real nice and suggested that I head up here to think. So I did! At first I was just standing at the edge, thinking and thinking. But then I had the urge to sit down, and I took off my hat and I just didn't know what to do with myself."

Please, oh please, don't tell me you're going to take your own life, Tarrant… I waited a few seconds before I spoke. "How do you feel?"

"Really bad."

Jax let out a sudden groan. "I came to tell you a story, but I see things have changed." He grumbled, pushing past me and heading down the hill. "I'll catch ya later, Liddell."

Tarrant stood up from the bench and hugged me. "I really missed you, Ana! I should've told you I was taking some time off!" he whined.

I giggled lightly and reached around his waist, grabbing his hat from the seat and plopping it onto my head. "Let's go make you feel better," I suggested. I wanted to get as far away from this cliff as possible. There was no way I was letting Tarrant linger on The End.


	24. Chapter 23

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

_**Gosh, finally done! I know, I know... Took me a while... But I appreciate your waiting! Sometimes I lose motivation and inspiration, but then I finally have that one night where I just know where my story is headed and I just type like there's a gun to my head! Which, there is not, by the way, a gun to my head. Total metaphor. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I wish that I could post the 24th one by mayyybeeeee...I don't know when, but I hope it'll get here ASAP. I know how it feels to wait for the next part of something...like manga. *-* **_

Chapter 23

Tarrant and I managed to trudge all the way down the tiring hill and into the town circle again. Unfortunately for me, I didn't get to catch up with Jax. That raccoon was pretty light on his feet, no doubt. As we headed straight through the town, I stopped in my tracks when I spotted the fortune teller tent. It was velvet purple and had thin curtains draped over the entrance. On the backside of it was the phase '_Truth Be Told'_ in gold embroidered letters. It interested me. She foretold that Tarrant had something troubling him, right? Well maybe she can give me some advice as well. I really didn't believe in all that fortune stuff, but I was just curious to hear what he or she had to say.

I tugged on the green sleeve of Tarrant's jacket and flicked my hand in the direction of the tent. "Was the fortune teller worth your trip?" I questioned first.

The hatless boy nodded quickly. "Oh, yes she was!" he insisted. "She makes you think really hard. She was worth the trip, yes!"

"Then can we pause our plans for a moment so I could see what he excitement is about?"

"Sure, whatever you want, Ana!" Tarrant chuckled, cheerfully tugging me toward the tent.

We slipped through the entrance curtains, only to be greeted by a large room. Hmm, the tent looked smaller from the outside… The walls were obviously corresponding to the same tent atmosphere, and the flooring was real simple: a thick royal purple blanket. It was nice, though. There was a candle lit in each corner of the tent, which was a bit stupid because those are the places that this particular tent caved in. This place will burn down soon if the teller keeps her candles so close to cloth. We walked further inside, approaching a flat-topped navy blue treasure chest with a chair on either side of it.

"Hello?" I called out. Where's that teller?

Tarrant put his hands on my shoulders and sat me down on the chair closer to the entrance. "She only comes out if you sit down." He chuckled.

Immediately after the statement was made, the treasure chest sitting in front of me started rumbling. I was ready to have a heart attack at that moment. The chest opened slightly, a thin women slithering her way out of it and onto the chair across from me. She was quite skinny and bony, her elbows probably being as pointy as Shire's claws (no worries, I haven't seen his actual kitty claws before, only his hands when they're humanlike). Her brown eyes poked out from her face a bit more than necessary. The corner of her lips seemed to naturally point straight left and right, as if she was incapable of smiling or pouting. I guessed she'd be stuck frowning forever. Her skin was dark, most of it covered in a golden wrap dress with a purple choker around her neck.

"Tarrant Hightopp. I s-s-see you're back again?" the woman questioned, folding her hands together after shutting the chest closed. Her knuckles cracked. Ew.

"Yep. My friend here wanted to talk to you!" Tarrant chirped.

She gave me an onceover, not looking very impressed. The least she could've done is made it less obvious that I'm no eye candy. "My title is Madam Malinda. It means black or dark s-s-serpent."

I hesitated to respond. Why did the people in Wonderland like explaining the meaning of their name? Halil did it. So did Amor. Okay, so not much people told me the meaning of their name, but you understand my point, right?

"I guess you vant me to introduce yourself too?" Madam Malinda groaned, rolling her bug eyes. "You are Anastasia Liddell. Vhat brings you here, child?"

I shrugged my shoulders. I'd like to know the same thing. "To this very spot? Well, my friend took me to Bandit County to check it out. You can say I'm kind of touring the country. But if you're asking me what brings me to Wonderland, then I honestly don't know. I was hoping that maybe you did, though." I admitted. I felt two warm hands rest themselves on either of my shoulders. I glanced over and Tarrant smiled at me.

The Teller coughed violently. "It's not my job to tell past. I can tell destiny but not purpose. I can tell potential but not accomplishments. I know vhy you came to Wonderland, but not my job to explain, S-s-sister Liddell."

I stared at her in silence. So if she can't tell me why I'm here, then what do I do? "Can you just tell me what you know? Anything!"

Madam Malinda stood up too fast for a woman of her age. She slammed her spiny hands against the treasure chest between us. "Not my job to choose vhat I tell you!" she exclaimed, her mouth still managing to stay in a straight line. "You leave. Come back vhen you know vhat you vant to hear. Not my job to choose!"

Wow, it had only been three minutes into the meeting and I managed to irk her. "Yes, ma'am." I blurted, standing up and bowing my head in sudden shame. How am I supposed to know what I want to hear? What if what I want to hear, isn't really what I want after I hear it? There's so much confusion that I wouldn't know what to ask from her. She's expecting too much from-

"Madam Malinda! I know what I want to ask!" A voice chirped from the entrance.

I whipped my head around to see who it was. I definitely hadn't seen her before. She skipped over to us, looking between Tarrant and me, then finally averting her eyes to Madam Malinda. "I know what I want to ask." She parroted.

Yeah. We know.

"Ah, S-s-sister Golbindancer." The Teller nodded slowly. "I knew you vould figure it out."

"Hi, Nettle!" Tarrant greeted warmly, sliding his hands off of my shoulders.

Nettle put her hand under her chin and flicked her fingers in his direction. I began to pay attention to who this girl was. She was short. Shorter than Tarrant and I, that's for sure. There were so many stunning features on her that I can't really pinpoint one that sticks out the most. Well, for one, her hair fell all the way to her mid-back, purple with lime green streaks here and there. An interesting combination. Her eyes were pretty amazing: a light blue, reminding me of the color of cotton candy. Obviously not the pink cotton candy. The blue one. Around them was a feather tattoo the same color of her streaks, stretching all the way to her cheekbones. I had to admit, though, I loved her outfit. It had nature written all over it. She wore a skirt made of large dark green leaves ending at her knees, a modest length. Her blouse was surely made out of many flower petals sewn together tight, probably with some cloth behind it to reinforce the structure. It was colorful and sleeveless. I thought she could have been a fairy considering she had massive orange wings popping out of her back. But, poking out of her head was a pair of two-foot black antennas, curling at the last few inches—and I usually don't affiliate fairies with antennas.

I watched her curiously as she scurried over to Tarrant and embraced him. He quickly returned the hug. After a long five seconds, Tarrant was the first to pull away.

"Hey Tarrant. Demmy has been worried sick!" Nettle squeaked, dropping her hands from him. "He's spent hours looking for you. You're lucky to have such a good friend to be that dedicated."

"I know, I know." Tarrant sighed, slumping his shoulders. "I didn't know anyone would worry about me. I just left to go and think."

"To think? That's really silly. You can think anywhere you want," she replied contently, giving him a light pat on the back.

I cleared my throat to show that I was still in the room. Nettle jumped and looked at me. "Oh, hello!" she blurted. "Sorry, sorry. I mean to greet you, but I guess I got distracted. I'm Nettle Goblindancer. How could a butterfly have a last name like that? I'm really not sure."

We both laughed. She already warmed up to me, and I think I was getting accustomed to her rather quickly as well. She was funny. "I'm Anastasia Liddell. You can call me Ana, though. My name is kind of a mouthful."

"Wow, seven syllables. You're right, Ana it is then." Nettle snickered.

"Are you going to tell me vhat you want to hear or are you going to s-s-socialize?" Madam Malinda scoffed from behind us.

The three of us turned around to look at the woman. "Sorry, Madam Malinda. I'll ask later. Now that I know Tarrant is okay and that he made a new friend, I really should get going. We have to go tell Demmy that he's alright."

"If you vant nothing, then you leave."

So, as rudely stated, we quickly exited the tent. I was a bit disappointed that absolutely nothing was solved. Madam Malinda simply gave me a task before I could actually seek her help. Luckily, I got to meet an actual girl. Besides Amor and Clare, Nettle was the only girl I have met that I actually enjoy the company of. We walked through the town center, making our way out of the circle of shops.

"Do you know where Demetrix is?" I asked her, glancing over my shoulder.

Nettle bit her lower lip. "I wish I do. Last time I saw him, he was at the beach. Looking for Tarrant. Poor fellow."

"I'll be sure to let Demetrix have extra snacks at tea time, today. I'll make sure he sees his favorite pastry." Tarrant said with sudden determination.

"Oh, but he deserves more than that! We can pick some amazing quality food from Heart Kingdom's marketplace and then set up a nice feast for him. It's the least we could do, right?" Nettle suggested.

Okay, so she wasn't the most practical person I've met, but at least she was considerate.

When we reached the large fence separating Wonderland's Once Lived and Bandit County, I hesitated to step closer. I really didn't want to climb that thing again. I looked over at Tarrant and Nettle to see if maybe they too were turned off by the idea of climbing. Then, it hit me. Nettle is a butterfly. She has wings! That must mean she could fly, right?

Catching my gaze, Nettle waved her hand in my face. "Wakey wakey," she sang.

I blinked and blushed very slightly. "Sorry," I blurted. Is that what I do when I get lost in my thoughts? I stare? "So, uh, how'd you get over the fence to get to Madam Malinda?"

She tilted her head to the side. "I flew over."

I began to draw little circles in the dirt with my big toe. "I figured…" I trailed off, clearing my throat. How was I supposed to ask my acquaintance to use her wings and her arm strength to fly over the fence just because I'm lazy? It was kind of a rude question. If I were her, I would've said no, honestly.

"You want me to fly you over, Ana?"

Wow, that was easier than I thought. I nodded quickly.

"I would do that in a heartbeat, but I really don't have the strength," Nettle giggled, rubbing the back of her neck.

Tarrant hopped. "Think I can get over with you too? I've always wanted to try that!" he begged.

I could've sworn that girl's bright blue eyes glistened after Tarrant's request. "Oh, yes! I'd love to help you with that dream." She cheered. Realizing that I kind of asked her for the same thing, Nettle blushed slightly. "Oh, gee, sorry Ana! Okay, I'll help both of you."

Ah, good. This is good. I don't have to worry about straining my noodle arms up the-

"…fence."

I jumped at the word. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said you still have to climb the fence." Nettle said shyly. She pointed towards the sky. "I still don't have the arm strength to carry you each up. But I think I'll definitely be able to glide you down safely!"

I'm afraid she didn't realize that the worse part about the fence situation was _climbing up_, but I needed to cut her some slack: she has wings. She has no need to climb _anything_. What if I get stuck in Wonderland forever? What creature would I end up as? Hopefully it had wings. Or an incredible ability to climb without tiring. Or both.

When the pesky thoughts stopped fogging my mind, I discovered that Nettle was alright flapping her wings, hovering slightly above the fence.

"Come on, Ana. You go first." Tarrant chimed, patting me on the back.

Reaching my hand to the fence hesitantly, I sighed. Here we go. I propped myself up unsteadily, wobbling my way towards the butterfly. I felt someone's hand on my back—Tarrant was assisting my balance. Of course the hand left after I elevated a couple feet. My acquaintance wrapped her thin arms around my waist and hoisted me up. I cringed as we flew forward, over the fence, and then she gently rested me onto the grass.

I took a few breaths of relief while Nettle flew back over, collected my friend, and placed him next to me.

"Thanks, Nettle!" Tarrant grinned at her.

Without hesitation, Butterfly Girl returned the grin and enveloped Tarrant in a huge hug. She finally let go after a bit, and I loudly exhaled to get their attention. "We should get going," I coughed.

"Right, right. We need to prepare for Demmy."

~o~

Our walk was nothing significant. It consisted of the same sights that I've described many times before. The sky changed color as we entered Wonderland's Once Lived, and it became a bit brighter as we reached the simple outskirts. The bandersnatch didn't even make his appearance, despite me wanting him too. I don't know what it is about him that makes me feel content. Maybe it's because he didn't judge me? Whatever the case, we have a genuine alliance. I figured he must have been taking a nap or merely stalking us from afar. Anyways, we traveled through the usual twists and turns of the forest areas, a couple convenient dirt paths, and oversized trees. There were actually a few wonderlanders trotting about, but they didn't really have much memorable faces to point out. Although, I did see a hybrandit nibbling on some grass discreetly, as if it were some sort of crime to graze. I wondered if it could possibly be Likon, the hybrandit that started speaking to me. Unfortunately, all of the hybrandits kind of looked the same, and like Likon said, they can't reveal their talking ability or else they'll be classified as smart enough to work.

The dry path the three of us were walking on came to a stop, fading into a red and black bricked road. We only had to walk another five feet before we had to pass the gate. I spotted the two familiar soldiers who stood quietly guarding the door. I waved politely and they immediately nodded and pushed the thick gates open. Instantly, the view of fake flowers and plants lined the sides of the streets. The same red and black themed cottages and buildings were scattered about, and there were plenty of citizens scurrying to and fro as they went on with their daily activities.

To get to the market place only took about five minutes from the time you get passed the guards. The smells of fruits, vegetables, and pastries filled the air. I inhaled greedily. We had better get to the Demetrix Apology Part fast, because I was starved. Tarrant escorted us over to a stand being run by a plump middle-aged lady, looking all jolly and giddy. I guess I'd be pretty smiley if I was in charge of a shop packed with pastries on the shelves. She wore a cute, light red apron with little hearts all over it. The sleeves of her loose-fit dress puffed at the shoulders. Most of her auburn hair was hidden in her suiting chef hat. She wiped her flour-coated hands on her apron and placed them against the wooden countertop. "Hello, hello." She beamed at the three of us, letting her dark brown eyes linger on my blue ones. "What brings you here, Miss Anastasia?"

"My friends and I were just-"

"Mrs. Pippin!" A male voice called from down the road.

I looked over my shoulder, spotting my farm friend running over to us like he was being chased. His light brown hair flopped lazily over his forehead, some of it tucked in by a denim baseball cap. I doubt they call it baseball cap here. He had that same rough look to him. Working hard, as usual. He didn't seem to notice me just yet. "Mrs. Pippin," he repeated.

The baker tilted her heavy head to the side and frowned a bit. "Yes, dear?"

"I've got good news and bad news."

I raised my eyebrows and put my left hand up to get his attention. When I felt his coffee-colored eyes on me, I smiled warmly. "What's the news, Stevie?"

Stevie took a few moments to process who the heck this blond dunce was talking to. It finally clicked. "Ah! Ana!" he blurted. "Geez, I'm real sorry. I don't know why I always do that. It's just when somethin's on my mind, I seem to not acknowledge anythin' else."

I dismissed the topic. "No worries."

"What is it, dear? I have customers." Mrs. Pippin insisted calmly.

"Oh, right," Stevie continued, giving me a cute smile before focusing back on the baker. "The good news is I found the flowercow. The bad news is that she's dead."

"Oh, goodness! Where'd you find the poor thing?"

"Somethin' big took a bite out of her. She was a snack. She got infected and died. I carted her to the cemetery to give the ol' bandersnatch a well-deserved snack for protecting Dad."

My heart dropped. Stevie and I really had one particular connection with each other—we both lost out father figure, and we both have been emotionally impacted by it. Also, I realized that that could be why the bandersnatch wasn't visible on our way back from Bandit County. He was eating.

"Here, I've got six bread rolls, fresh out of the oven. You and your friends can go inside and help yourselves. Free of charge—I know losing livestock is costly."

"Thanks," Stevie chuckled, obviously accepting her offer. He gestured for us to follow him behind the bakery stand. Mrs. Pippin's cute cottage was standing close behind her business. It, as expected, had _fake_ pansies as a way to decorate the place. They border the two windows on the front face of the house. The home was made of cobblestone, except for its wooden window frames and door. The citizens around here must have been very gullible considering they kind of tended to leave their doors open. I wonder how the thief rates are around here. Stevie quickly entered. I figured he must have been in here often. Then again, he and the baker were on a name-basis, so they must be close friends or family-friends. Tarrant and Nettle lingered beside me. They must not know this farm boy.

I, on the other hand, had a better idea. "Uh, Stevie." I called out, not entering the stranger's house. Being in Wonderland, I didn't really have a fear of strangers. They were all strangers. Everyone starts as strangers. Why, if you think about it, your own mother or sibling was a stranger at some point, right? You can't just avoid people you don't know.

He peeked his head out from the cottage. "Yeah?"

"You can have all of the rolls. You deserved them. Go bring it home and share it with your mom." I informed him calmly. I wasn't actually positive if he was an only child or not. "And with your siblings, if you have any." I added, just to be safe.

He stepped out from inside and his smile ceased to exist. "Are you sure?" he wondered. "Really, six is more than enough for me and my mom. We'll be fine, Ana."

"No, it's okay. We have a little get-together to prepare for," I told him, declining his kind offer. "Don't worry."

I took Tarrant and Nettle's narrow wrists and headed away from Farm Boy.

"You're a real good girl, Ana!" Stevie hollered, soon after slamming the door closed.

Some might think that I was crazy for not taking the amazing offer of fresh, homemade bread rolls. Others may think that Stevie is being greedy by slamming the door, as if he were in a rush. You have to bear in mind that he's a farmer and just lost one of his livestock. From what I've heard, flowercow nectar is a delicacy, so I could only imagine how much it cost to own the producer or the product. He lost one. There goes one producer and years of a product. Gone. I assumed he had other flowercows to tend, but in the end, any loss is a loss, right?

It was after this pondering that Nettle and Tarrant finally recognized that we were bypassing each food stand. All of the bakeries and fresh produce? Passed by without another glance.

"Um, Ana…" Nettle murmured.

Tarrant poked my shoulder timidly. "Ana, aren't we supposed to be picking up the stuff for the plans?" he asked.

"Yes, but we're not doing our shopping here." I smirked and pointed at a huge stoned castle with a dark red door the size of several elephants stacked on top one another.

"We're going to have something specially made."

Why did I choose to stretch my powers as the Queen's favorite guest by entering the castle without warning? Because there were a few people I really wanted to see.

One loyal maid and a soft-spoken knight.

**CREDIT**

_**Nettle Goblindancer is one of the fictional characters in my story. Credit to Kochua2012 for creating this epic butterfly! :D**_

_**Have a character in mind to be apart of Ana in the Land of Hearts? Send me a PM of the character's looks, personality, and other and we'll see from there. c:**_


	25. Chapter 24

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

_**Greetings from Nuggland! :D Hello, everybody! I'm back for the time being... You see, school and people and blah. It's been rough, but thank you so much for being awesome and loyal and great commenters, because each and every review contributes to my mental-health, you know! I love productive, good-quality criticism, so gimme gimme. :3 Anyways, it's 10:20 p.m and I finally finished this chapter...it took me a while, but it's done... And you know what? This story doesn't seem to have a legit ending in my mind... Because who knows where Ana could end up next? Wonderland is a whole new world (ignore the Aladin reference, please. And I know I can't spell Alladin right...)! There's so much to discover, so much drama to understand. Lots of stuff that Ana is yet to know about! So just stay tuned, and I hope I didn't lose some of you, because I love chu all. Thank you for sticking around! :D Here's chapter 24!**_

Chapter 24

The first person to greet me as I entered the castle was William. Yes, William. He surely wasn't someone I was actually expecting to see, but I wasn't disappointed. It was a pleasant surprise. He was in a maroon waistcoat with a crisp black shirt underneath. It looked nice, but I preferred the blue one he had on earlier. It made his eyes pop.

"Outfit change?" I laughed lightly as I gave him a small hug.

He stiffened. "Ah, well, the Queen didn't like my color scheme." He whispered, chuckling a bit. He gently pulled away to study my traveling group. His blue eyes widened as he caught sight of Tarrant. "Oh, wow, Tarrant, you're back." He commented thoughtfully. "Good to see you."

Now, I knew William didn't ever speak this formal. It must have been the setting—we were, after all, in the walls of the Queen's castle.

"Yep, yep." Tarrant grinned and gave Bunny Boy slap on the back. "Ditto to you!"

After cringing at the harsh slap, William shifted his gaze to the girl on my left. "Hello. I don't think we've ever formally met, but I've seen you around before."

"I'm Nettle," Nettle giggled, swaying her arms forward and back. "Yeah, I've seen you before too. You're the Queen's assistant or something, right?" she wondered.

"I guess you could call me that." He chuckled. "Nice to meet you. I'm William."

"So why are we in here, again?" Nettle questioned, raising a thin eyebrow at me.

Before I went on to reply, I took note that William didn't even mention that he preferred the name 'Will' instead. "We're going to have some custom made foods for Demmy-" I coughed. "I mean, Demetrix."

Tarrant and Nettle grinned excitedly while William looked kind of nervous. "You're going to the kitchen?" he asked. Well , duh. That's where food is typically made. After I nodded, he took a deep breath. "Are you sure about that?"

How ominous. "Relax, William-"

"If it really is trouble, we could just go get some stuff from the marketplace. I'm not poor!" Tarrant blurted.

"No, no," Nettle concurred calmly. "Demmy deserves the best, right? Tarrant, he was so worried about you. Searching all over the place to find you. That's a real friend. So we're going to need to get him a real feast."

I glanced at Nettle. "Uh, right. You two don't need to worry about a thing. The Queen said that I'm always welcome here and stuff. She won't mind if I ask for some food."

A long pause.

"Fine. I'll show you to the kitchen, then." William finally gave in, and I was grateful for that. He took my wrist for a moment, then let go. Being in the castle truly made Bunny Boy formal… I didn't like it very much, but it was how he kept his job, I guessed.

We walked straight down the corridors, passing the grand staircase and into the kitchen. It was connected to the dining hall: a large room full of black chairs and red tables on one half, and red chairs and black tables on the other. There were white doilies going across each rectangular tabletop, and a vase with a variety of fake flowers in the center of each as well. At the far end of the dining hall, opposite of the entrance, we two eggshell-colored doors. We entered the kitchen through the left door and were greeted by the cooks. They all wore black, their names embroidered on the pocket of their apron in red thread. There was one young man in red with black writing that read: _Cruze_. I assumed he was the master chef—he stood out from the rest. Not just because he was the only one in red, but because he was very eye-catching. He had beautiful curly obsidian hair and light brown eyes. His skin was caramel, but more on the dark side. He looked about six feet tall with an additional two inches. His eyebrows were slightly bushy, but totally suiting his look.

I watched him as he speedily picked up his hat from the corner of the kitchen where the lockers and little closet was. He didn't seem to notice us yet. His hair was soon covered in a thin hairnet, then his chef hat. He turned on his heels, glancing about the steaming kitchen, and then laid his eyes on me. He mouthed something to one of his coworkers and then headed straight for us. "Chef Cruze," He told me, clearly making a quick introduction. [Cruze is pronounced like the word _cruise_.]

"Anastasia Liddell. Please call me Ana," I answered rather quickly. He seemed to be busy. I gestured to Tarrant and Nettle. "My friends,"

His eyes widened for a moment. "What can I do for you, Ana?" He fastened the last two buttons of his jacket.

"My friends and I are going to throw a little get-together in honor of someone special, and we would very much appreciate it if you could prepare some nice dishes for it." I tried to keep confident and focused, just like he was doing (without trying, of course).

Chef Cruze crossed his arms patiently. "Do I know you? Have we met before?"

Before I could even think about my answer, William cleared his throat. "Ah, you two haven't formally met. Ana is one of the Queen's special quests."

"The Queen never mentioned anything about special guests."

"Well-"

"So why am I making my cooks stop what they're doing to work hard to fulfill this girl's orders? We've had special guests in the past before, but I never had to take orders from them. I work for our Majesty, William." He explained, stiffening a bit. Surprisingly, his tone was relaxed and informative—he didn't sound irked or annoyed. He kept his cool.

"You three, stay here." William looked over at me for a brief moment, then back at the tall young man in front of him. "Chef Cruze, can we talk for a minute?"

"If the conversation is productive, then yes. Otherwise, my break starts in two hours."

The two walked past our group and into the dining hall.

I slumped my shoulders. "This can't be good."

Nettle awkwardly grabbed my elbow. Well, she did it casually, but I found the gesture awkward in general. "Don't worry about it. Let's just get the food prepared and then leave. No drama is needed. It can't be that hard for professionals like these guys!"

Tarrant nodded excitedly. "She has a great point, Ana! These cooks work for the Queen. They must be the best, so it shouldn't take long for them to make a little something for good ol' Demetrix."

My blue eyes looked over at the two optimistic teenagers.

"Come on. The sooner, the better." Butterfly Girl chanted as she sauntered over to the sink where a short little chef was positioned. She bent her knees a bit to be at the worker's eye level. "Hi. As you may have already witnessed, my friend here is a special guest of the Queen. We would hate to give negative reviews to her majesty, and we'd like this to be quick. If you could grab a few friends to make some sweets, we'll be sure to boast about you to the Queen. Wouldn't that be great? I'll even mention your name specifically…" she trailed off, looking over at the word sewn into the black jacket. "Fern. I'll be sure to mention your name to her, _Fern_."

Fern blinked her dark eyes, tilting her head to the side to show her confusion. "I'm sorry, but if I'm mistaken, the only special guest would be the blond one over there." She pointed over at me.

I rushed over to them (it wasn't much of a distance, actually). "It's true. I'm the only special guest here today. But this girl and the boy behind me are my guests, making them an extension of me. So they're special guests as well. On a broader spectrum."

"I'm sorry. I just can't fulfill your orders unless they come straight from Chef Cruze. He's the boss of all of us."

"Sure, but isn't the Queen the boss of all of you? And since I'm her special guest, and she wants to keep me pleased at all times, you'd have to listen to me for her sake?" I pondered. I didn't mean to sound stuck-up. In fact, my tone was pretty down to earth, if you ask me.

"She would inform Chef Cruze about your presence and what to expect. What to do and what not to do." Fern blushed slightly. "If you'd like, I could ask for someone to clarify who you are and what the Queen wants for you."

"T-that won't be necessary." A shy voice squeaked from behind the four of us.

I slowly turned on my heels to identify who spoke up for me.

A petite girl in a red and black French maid dress stood quite stiffly. Her light brown pixie-cut hair was slightly disheveled, most likely from cleaning. She timidly gazed down at her feet, which was decorated in little charcoal slippers. I bet she was a size-five. "H-hello, Miss Ana," she murmured. "It's been a long time."

"Clare!" I gaped, throwing my arms around my friend. Ah, we knew each other for only a brief moment at the time, but I appreciated her a lot. I mean, she kinda had some dirt on me—she witnessed Halil and I kissing…

"W-what brings you back?" Clare asked, hesitating to hug me back.

I smirked and quickly pulled away. "Food. And I wanted to visit two very special friends of mine. You've just been checked off my list, though."

The cute little maid blushed at me. Aw, she got so flustered all the time. She simply turned to Chef Fern and bowed her head a bit. "Chef Fern, Miss Anastasia is a special guest of the Queen. Make whatever she requests…" she smiled. "With discretion, of course."

"I'll keep everything reasonable," I added quickly, trying to keep on the good side with this Fern girl. I had nothing against her, and so I wanted to make sure she had nothing against me.

Chef Fern hesitated to speak, but she finally gave in. "Alright. I'll take your word for it." She looked over at the fellow nosy chefs and gave them the nod of approval. They all held up their hand, palm facing me. Then lower them.

I blinked. Well, how was I supposed to react? Was this how they showed that they were under my orders now? "Okay, listen to my friends, please." I informed them, then poked Tarrant and Nettle's arm. "I don't really know what Demetrix has a taste for, so you two are in charge of this whole directing-the-chefs thing." I whispered as I began to scurry to the exit door.

"Wait! Ana! Where are you going?" Tarrant called out.

"Are you leaving us here by ourselves?" Nettle asked in shock.

"No, of course not. I'll be back. I just have to go catch up with someone." I told them before slipping out of the room and ramming into Will. See, I didn't know he'd be right by the door. Chef Cruz wasn't anywhere in sight, though.

"Oh, hey Ana." William took my wrist, taking a few steps away from the door so no one else would butt into us. "He left to go talk with another guest." He informed me with a soft smile.

Ah, he was beginning to act more down-to-earth like he used to. I preferred it this way. "Who's the other guest?"

"There have been plenty of guests in the castle. Tons." Will commented with a casual shrug. "I can't really pinpoint who it could possibly be. But whoever it is just checked in a few minutes ago."

I could only imagine. "So who's this Chef Cruz guy anyways? He seems really-"

"Uptight?"

"I was going to say a stickler for rules but uptight works too."

Will shrugged his shoulders, finally allowing himself to let go of my hand. We ended up strolling out of the dining hall and into the main corridor of the castle. There were maids in black and red, hustling and bustling about as they scurried to clean whatever looked slightly less than perfect. I'd hate to be a maid. Most of them were distracted, but the few that actually spotted us sent us a polite smile or a bow of the head.

"Chef Cruz has been with us since he became an adult."

That didn't seem very long to me. He looked maybe eighteen years old… "Is that supposed to be impressive?" I wondered. Not to be rude.

Bunny Boy raised a blond eyebrow. "Well, yes. Working since he was thirteen? Five years of cooking in the royal castle? That's pretty impressive, Ana," he chuckled.

Oh. They're considered adults when they turn thirteen? Is that why a bunch of them are teenagers living on their own? Because it was legal?

We continued to walk around the castle, as if I needed a tour. Everything looked familiar, but I was still fascinated nevertheless. The color scheme of the building was just so bold: red and black. It was everywhere. The uniforms, the furniture, the floors, the walls. Will and I ended up in one of the hallways, except this particular one didn't have a single soul in it. Actually, it seemed more familiar than the other places we walked through. I realize only seconds later that this was the hallway that contained the door to my guest room.

"Hey, my room is down here." I commented, nodding down the hall.

Will smiled and reached out a hand. "Yeah, I know. I'm the Queen's assistant, Ana. I know almost everything around here."

I blinked at his hand. It took me a bit of time to understand his gesture, but I did result in placing my hand comfortably into his. "I like it when you're like this."

Bunny Boy leaned his back against the wall and we slowly slid down to a sitting position. He turned to face me so that his shoulder was now pressed against the wall, but I remained facing forward, hugging my knees to my chest now. He was still holding my left hand with his right. "When I'm like what?"

"When you're all casual with me." I replied quietly. "It reminds me of home."

A smile began to crack on his young, kind of beautiful face. "Home? What is home, exactly? You never really told me about it."

"I guess I haven't actually told anyone about it." I pointed out. "Well, I live in a smallish town. Chesterton. We own this really cute Victorian house. Two floors. No siblings, so I have my own room."

"Oh yeah? That's cool. I used to share a room with Mercy before we went our separate ways."

I nodded at this information, and then continued. "And I go to this Catholic, all-girls school, but not too far from it is the complimentary all-boys academy. We join together for lunch time, festivals, events, and dances."

"Anyone special?" Will quickly asked, scooting a bit closer. He was definitely feeling curious.

"No," I murmured, blushing just a teency bit. Matthew did pop up in my mind for a moment. Wow, I really missed him. He was my best friend. He knew everything. I told him everything, and I'm pretty sure he told me everything as well. Sometimes people our schools would come up to us and ask if we're dating, and Matt would joke around and say _not yet_. And for some reason, I couldn't help but smile a little when he said that. But once again, he was my best friend. "No, not really."

Will let out a sigh. "Cool," he said rather slowly. He didn't seem to believe me fully. "So how do I remind you of home again? Because I see no connections yet."

I laughed, playfully elbowing him in the chest. "It's just that since our town was smallish, everybody knew everybody, or at least has seen that person's face before. We're all pretty casual with each other. And you're just so easy to talk to, it just reminds me of my neighbors and friends back in Chesterton."

"Do you want to go back?" Will suddenly asked, his blue eyes gazing into mine.

"Go back?" I croaked. "Go back home?"

"Yes."

"Well…" I trailed off, slowly slipping my hand from his grasp. "I don't know. I mean, I've met great people here, I really have. That includes you, by the way. But, I have to see my friends and family back home, you know? Do you know what the last words my mother said to me?" I didn't bother to wait for his guess. "She told me to leave. That's it. She said _leave_."

"Funny. My mom said the exact same thing before I left home to find a better life within Heart Kingdom. You and I both ended up in this castle, huh?"

His mother told him to leave? But he's so kind and good-spirited. I couldn't imagine him doing something get-out-of-my-house worthy. I really couldn't, but I was kind of glad that we had something like this in common. "What a coincidence," I smiled at him, reaching for his hand now that things weren't as intense again.

Then, it all happened so fast. I glanced up at the ceiling of the hallway, just enjoying our little bonding time when I felt a hand on my knee. It wasn't alarming. It was actually quite comforting. Next, Will slid even closer to me, taking both of my hands, forcing me to face him. I didn't mind—it was a nice view either way. We both knew what was about to happen. I saw his chin angle down to my level, his mouth slowly getting closer and closer to mine. I even helped the situation a bit by tilting my head to the side so our noses wouldn't collide. Our lips curled into a smile as I felt one of his hands inch over to a strand of my hair.

_THUN! THUN! THUN!_

Aww, fudge. It was footsteps. Will immediately jumped back, unlocking his hands from me and scooting away. He scrambled to his feet before pulling me up to mine. "Typical crap," he grunted underneath his breath, taking a depressingly large step away from me.

I folded my hands behind my back and tried not to think about what could've happened. It would've looked suspicious if the footstep-maker saw me flustered. I turned my head in the direction of the noise.

Then the footstep-maker emerged from down the corridor, turning into our hallway.

He couldn't formally greet me by words, and so when he was close enough to Will and me, he bowed down. We stared at him in silence. When the knight stood straight, I let out a gasp.

"Halil, what happened to your face?"

There was a black, scorching burn in the shape of a heart on his currently blood-red cheek.

And he looked angry.


	26. Chapter 25

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

_**Hey everyone. :) Excited to see this new chapter, huh? Alright, alright, I won't take up too much of your time...This story is extremely complex. Every character has their own issues and problems that intertwine with one another. Some issues are much more...major than others. You'll see what I'm talking about. Enjoy Chapter 25.**_

Chapter 25

The knight just stared at me. What was I supposed to do? I've never seen Halil angry. Sure, I've seen him sad, and I've seen him content, but never angry. I didn't think he had it in him, to be honest. I thought he was too soft-spoken for something as empowering as anger.

Honestly, I was frightened.

"Yellow Shield," Will blurted. Crap, he was being formal again. "You've been marked by the Queen." He stated.

So the Queen did this? "Why would she do such a thing? That knight is nothing but a good guy!"

Halil furrowed his brown eyebrows as he lowered his gaze to the ground.

Will cleared his throat and quickly lowered his voice to a whisper once he scanned the hallway for eavesdroppers. "Listen, Halil, I know she's been off her nut today. You alright?"

He nodded slowly, finally allowing himself to look at us.

"Wow, that's a scar for sure. I don't know how to treat it, and giving the task to a maid isn't such a good idea."

"I'll do it. I can treat a burn." I chirped, raising my right hand. Working in the garden with my father and after his death always resulted me in getting a few scrapes and cuts, so I became a master at treating myself. I couldn't bug Mom all the time.

Before anyone could respond, I quickly took Halil's wrist. "Where do they keep the medicine stuff?" I questioned.

"In the bathrooms. Where else?" Will chuckled, waving after us. "We have an infirmary, but like I said, staff shouldn't know about us taking care of a yellow shield."

"Got it," I squeaked as I escorted Halil out of this back corridor. The castle had more than enough hallways, each one with different rooms. The narrow hallways tended to have the bedrooms and dorms where the staff and guests could sleep, as well as bathrooms and a few lobby rooms. The wider hallways tended to have the rooms that can be shared with people, like kitchens or dining rooms or art rooms. I wanted to make sure we weren't being watched, so I dragged him into one of the narrow hallways' bathrooms. I quickly shut the door and got him to sit on the edge of the bath tub. I searched for the medicine cabinet—usually they're above the sink, but obviously Wonderland decided that medicine should be on the wall across from the sink. I opened the red-painted wooden cupboard and looked through the random bottles and containers. Halil was being awfully quiet. That wasn't a surprise though. I spotted something that read 'PAIN-KILLER', and popped the lid off. "Oh, wait. Maybe I should dab at the wound first?" I murmured to myself, reading the label more carefully.

Halil's hand wrapped around my elbow. "Clare cleaned it for me."

I stared at him. She must have done it right before she went to the kitchen, because the burn still seemed fresh. "Did she put pain-killers on it?"

He shook his head.

I guess she forgot about that. I washed my hands and dried them swiftly before dipping my three fingers into the white cream. I brushed it against his cheek slowly, tracing the heart. "This is cruelty. How could she mark you like that? Plus it's in the shape of a heart so everyone knows who did it." I sighed.

Halil shrugged his shoulders. "I'll never be promoted from Yellow Shield."

"I know," I murmured, pulling away. He told me when I was walking with Absolem. Absolem said he thinks he knows why the Queen wouldn't want to promote Halil, but I had no clue. "Do you know why? Did she tell you?"

"She hates me."

I rolled my eyes. "I doubt that. I mean, she tends to be pretty brutal to everyone."

"Not you."

"Well, that's just because she knows I'm in the prophecy."

"Not William."

"Well, he is her assistant."

"…"

"Halil, the Queen doesn't hate you, alright?" I exhaled, putting the lid back on the bottle. I rinsed my hands thoroughly. Soon, a small black towel was plopped on the sink from Halil, and I gratefully whipped my hand against it. "Thanks."

The boy simply nodded and stood to his feet. "Thanks," he parroted.

"You're welcome. How does it feel?" I asked, putting the towel back on the ring. I watched him as he put the pain-killer back in the cabinet.

He shrugged. "It still burns," he whispered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Where's the Queen, anyways? This is ridiculous." I groaned, placing my hand on the doorknob. "You don't deserve this kind of treatment. No one does. Burning someone's face? That's inhumane."

"She says I belong to her." Halil croaked. "Doesn't that mean she can do anything to me?"

I bit my lower lip. "Sure, but that doesn't mean it's right."

We had managed to sneak out of the corridors and found ourselves by the door for the dining hall. It was quiet, so I figured no one was around for the time being. I was about to lead him into the room when he grabbed my shoulder. I glanced at his hand, and then looked into his red eyes.

"I should get back to work. Thank you," he muttered. He didn't look very happy, but he did look thankful. That was enough for me.

I smiled at him. My hand took his off my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Anything for a good friend." I said quietly, then watched him take off. I didn't bother to see where he was headed; instead I pushed my way into the dining hall. I spotted Chef Cruz, speaking to some other guy. The guy's back was turned, so I couldn't make out who he was. He was definitely tall, though. As the door behind me finally made it's _click_, I jumped. What? It scared me.

Both young men turned around to check out the noise. Chef Cruz hadn't been talking to just any tall guy. The guy was gorgeous! Black hair with dark bangs covering the left side of his forehead, but not the right. Piercing green eyes.

"Aster!" I gasped, jogging over to him happily. Immediately, I dove to give him a hug.

He chuckled and lightly placed his hand on the small of my back. He was such a gentle hugger. When he pulled away, he bowed his head slightly. "Hello, darling." He greeted.

I grinned. It's been quite a while. Lots have happened while he was away. "Oh, did you get the materials you needed?"

He lowered his head close to me and whispered, "It was a struggle, but I did indeed manage to find enough to cover the Queen."

I giggled lightly, but Chef Cruz coughed loud enough to wake up people in Kansas. I pouted. "Sorry for interrupting, Chef." I murmured.

"What we were talking about wasn't important." Aster commented, folding his hands behind his back.

"Are you sure? I could just head int-"

Two maids scurried into the room. All of our attention averted right onto them. "Mr. Sage," one of them squeaked as they both curtseyed. "The material was really heavy, so we had a knight come and help us. The Queen wants us to meet in the throne room so she could judge the material for herself."

Aster rolled his bright eyes. "Is that necessary? I've been making that woman's clothes forever, why must she inspect the material before the product if it always passed the test? I don't do mediocre work."

It's true, he doesn't. If I knew where my Aster Sage dress was…I'm just wearing Shire's maybe-girlfriend's clothing.

"I understand, Mr. Sage, but I'm only following our Majesty's orders." The other maid chimed in timidly.

"I know, I know," he sighed. "Fine." He turned to Chef and me. "Darling, would you care to accompany me?"

I blinked. I figured that request was for me, or this would've been really awkward. "Um, sure," I blurted unthinkingly.

"As you wish," Chef Cruz suddenly stated, taking a few steps away from us. He looked at me and bowed his head, then did the same for Aster. "I'll be in the kitchen."

Aster lifted his arm up, and so I instinctively linked mine to it. He then followed the maids.

I did look back for a moment… But… Oh well, I was sure Nettle and Tarrant will be fine.

The throne room looked like it always did. The walls on the left had the paintings of the Queen when she was younger and much, much skinnier. Thankfully she kept that beautiful face. Although, in the paintings, she didn't have on as much makeup as she does at this particular moment. She wears heavy makeup. She still pretty, but she looks better without. As I learned way earlier in my Wonderland adventure, I got to bow before I start blabbering. So I did. And, as if on cue, the maids, Aster Sage, and the flower girls bowed to the fat young lady on the big chair. I waited until everyone else stood up straight before I did—I didn't want to bow too short or too long. I had to keep the Queen on my good side, because rumor has it that her bad side isn't very safe.

"Is that Anastasia?" The Queen chirped, clasping her chubby hands together.

"Ah, yes, Your Majesty." I coughed out.

"It's good to see you again."

I nodded. "The pleasure is all mine."

Aster Sage sighed and stepped forward. "Care to take a look at the material, my Queen?"

Thank the Lord Aster interrupted us—the formal speaking was getting boring. The material was being pulled around using a maroon wagon. The knight pulling the wagon had to be none other than Halil. Ah, they must have spotted him as soon as he left me by the dining hall. I simply smirked at him, and I know too well that he caught my look, because one corner of his mouth quirked up for just a split second. As the material was placed in front of the Queen, we all took a polite step back so she could feel it up or whatever.

"Is this fur?" the Queen questioned while her fingers caressed the product slowly. "It's so soft."

"No, not fur. I don't use fur." Aster replied as if it were obvious. I respected that, though. I wasn't much of a supporter for fur products either. "It's made out of the bushes of the Quim Trees. Best in Wonderland, Your Highness. As always."

She grinned and dropped the stuff from her hands. "Good, I love it. Go work your magic. I want the dress done by next week!" she cheered.

Aster Sage nodded and linked arms with me once again. "Will do," he stated and turned around. The flower girls stared at us, a few of them sending me death glares, but I have learned to ignore them. "Girls, get the Quim to the sewing room. I've got something to do."

Pansy frowned. "I'll accompany you just in case you have further orders. I insist."

We all exited the throne room, leaving Halil, the maids, and the Queen behind. The flower girls continued to stare while Aster and Pansy bickered. He pulled away from me and walked up to Pansy intently. "Pansy, you're no more important than the rest of my flowers. You get no special treatment. Get back with them and do as I said, please." He groaned.

Pansy blushed, clearly humiliated. That's what she gets for sticking her nose in everything. She rolled her eyes and turned on her heels. "Let's go girls," she murmured, marching away from us.

"She makes a better pest than a flower," Will chuckled as he folded his arms behind his head. Well, that wasn't very formal of him to say… He and Aster must be well acquainted enough that Will didn't have to be that way.

Aster half-smiled at Bunny Boy. "She believes she's superior to the rest of the flowers. It's my job to keep her in check." He faced me. "Her head has been getting rather big since you dropped in my dome, darling."

"She doesn't like me." I quickly informed them. "Many of them don't like me, actually."

"They're jealous, no doubt." Will shrugged his shoulders. "Think about it: it's obvious the girls love attention and praise from Aster, here."

Aster tilted his head left to right, considering this thought. He let out a light laugh.

Will continued on, "They've been competing for his love for years. Then you show up and Aster treats you like, well,"

"I treat her like the beautiful young lady she is." Aster commented. He glanced down at me. "Do you see the harm in that?"

"Right. He treats you like…like how the Queen treats those who she considers special. It's common sense that the flower girls won't be happy to see you."

Thanks for the explanation, Will, but I could've figured that out myself. I looked between the two guys in front of me and smiled. "You can't be liked by everybody."

They nodded. Both of them reached for either of my arms, and as soon as they realized that they did this at the same time, they retracted quickly. Strange. I hugged myself in response to this. Is it me, or did they just glare at each other for a second?

Probably not.

"Uh," Will blurted. "So are you staying the night, Ana? It's getting late, I think."

I blinked. "Might as well, I guess."

Aster placed his firm hand on my shoulder. "I have to talk to someone before I get back to work. I'm aware I promised to make up for leaving so soon, but the Queen is unreasonable." He winked at me. "She wants a dress completed by next week—making a royal gown with a waistline a mile long will occupy my attention for a bit."

I laughed. Aster's humor was just on point. He told things as it is. Things that most people would keep to themselves. He's a gentleman and a mess—I love it. "Alright, I understand."

Before I could blink again, the tall young man bent down and kissed me on the cheek. "It's really good to see you again, darling." He whispered, then placing his hands behind his back and walked away.

Will interrupted my staring by suddenly saying: "I should check on your friends in the kitchen."

I jumped and eyed Bunny Boy. "Oh, right." I almost forgot about them. "Yeah, you should. I need to find my room anyways. I'm exhausted." It wasn't a lie. I truly was tired. Just keeping up with the time zones in Wonderland was enough work as it is—you can't tell when day decides to end and when night chooses to show its dark face. It was a struggle, but it was exciting, nevertheless. Once Will rounded the corner, I stared at the staircase to my left. "Where's my room, again?" I murmured to myself. Darn. I needed help.

I slowly opened the large doors to the throne room and poked my head inside. I was about to fully expose myself when I saw an extremely familiar knight down on one knee, his head low. The Queen was holding up this thin, black whip in her right hand, shaking her head violently. I held my breath.

"Yellow Shield!" she screamed, raising the weapon higher. "I saw you show emotion to her! I saw it! Don't you know the rules?!" she ranted on and on.

Halil didn't move.

The Queen sighed and dropped her hands to her sides. She turned around and pointed at the knight in the corner. He quickly scrambled to her, bowing his head swiftly, then held up a scroll. "Read the new parts of the Yellow Shield Limits!" she demanded.

The knight nodded and opened up the scroll. I couldn't see his facial expressions because his helmet was on, but I could tell he was frightened. He cleared his throat. "Y-yellow Shields mustn't speak a word."

"Read the new ones. The new ones!"

"Sorry, my Queen." He murmured as he fiddled with the cream papers. "Yellow Shields mustn't…" he paused and stared at the words in front of him.

What? What is it? Why'd he stop?

"That's not a complete thought!" The Queen groaned, snatching the scroll from the knight. "You're a Green Shield, you should know how to read, you idiot…" Pause. "Yellow Shields mustn't show any emotions unless directed for the Queen."

My eyes widened. This is sick. She was so nice and bubbly a few minutes ago.

"You hear that, Yellow Shield? Yellow Shields mustn't show any emotions unless directed for the Queen. That's me! Me! And me only!" She shoved the scroll into the Green Shield's chest and he stumbled back from her weight.

"Your Majesty, if you don't mind me asking. Uh, w-when was this rule a-added?" the Green Shield stuttered.

She held up the whip high and turned her head to look at him. She opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated. "Recently."

"Oh, so last night then? Because last night we had the meetings for the Shields. We go over the rules, limitations, and go over training rituals, but I guess we must've missed that rule. So, you made it official last night?"

"I said recently." She repeated through her teeth.

She didn't put that in last night. She did it much more recently. If she put it in last night, my guess is that the knights would have gone over the rules, and Halil seemed to be good with the rules. His heart was pure. If she put it in after the knight meeting, then they could've gone over it this morning, right? Don't they all eat at the same time, or at least in group shifts? They must have.

"Right, Your Majesty." The Green Shield rolled up the scroll and went back to his corner. His shoulders slumped as soon as he was five feet away from that woman.

She's only eighteen. Wouldn't you think she'd be the fun, easygoing kind of ruler? This is just bad. "How can you stop someone from showing how they feel? They can't help it!" I squeaked in shock.

Oh crap. I didn't mean to say that out loud.

Everyone's head in the room snapped to look at me, the dunce at the door. The Queen quickly put the whip behind her back and she smiled warmly. "Anastasia, it's rude to eavesdrop." She giggled.

Halil stared at me intently. Because his head was turned away from the Queen, he was able to send me this sorry look. This get-out-of-here look.

I took a deep breath and marched further into the room. "Your Majesty," I sighed, curtseying. "I don't think what you're doing is right. This guy seems innocent. I'm sure he didn't mean to break your rules. They're rather hard to follow, anyways."

Her eyes widened for a moment. "Just because someone seems innocent, doesn't mean they are. They're still capable of unacceptable things." She replied calmly.

I just hoped she kept that whip behind her back. "You're right. You seemed innocent at first glance, but now I see that you're imposing these unnecessarily strict rules on these knights. They all serve you loyally, you're just making it harder for them. If you keep this up, there's going to be an uprising. They're going to realize they're being stepped on and treated this way, and they're going to fight back." I was just trying to give her some advice.

The Queen looked interested by my statements. "An uprising? They're going to fight back?" she giggled, shaking her head. "Impossible. That might happen back in your world, but here in Wonderland, loyal subjects will remain loyal, even if they break my rules. It's my job to keep them in line."

"You're doing too good of a job keeping them in line," I replied. "This is too much. Maybe you should lighten up, Your Highness."

She stepped forward and placed her left hand on the top of Halil's head, turning it away from me. She stared down at him and frowned. "Do you think I should lighten up, Yellow Shield?"

I couldn't see what he did, but in the end, the Queen just grinned at me. "See? Even this one agrees. The rulebreaker agrees with me."

"Because you're going to whip him if he doesn't." I spat, getting pretty irked.

She revealed the whip from behind her. Caught her red-handed. "…Anastasia Liddell. You wouldn't understand any of this. You are not me, and therefore you can't tell me how to run this castle, or the Heart Kingdom, for that matter." She exhaled. "The scar on his cheek…it's the first time I've ever burnt a heart on someone. It warns everyone of what can happen to them if they play with the rules."

"Why him? What did he do?" I asked. There was a long silence, and I my heart was filling up with anger. "What did he do? What did Halil do to deserve this?" I yelled.

Oh crap.

"Halil?" The Queen parroted, taking a step away from the knight on his knees. "Halil?" she repeated, her voice even louder. "How do you know his name if… no one else knows it?"

She paused and placed her hand on the top of Halil's head again.

"Did he forget that he's not allowed to speak?"

Uh oh.


	27. Chapter 26

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

_**What's up everyone? ...Yeah, okay, quit yelling at me. I know. The school year is almost over and I've been considering adding another fanfiction, so my head has been spinning more often these days. I've had finals and an AP exam and arghhhhh. Just a lot of things to finish up before I can fully relax. I'm even taking naps! I never took naps! Now I take them once every two weeks! That's a lot for someone such as meself! Okay, enough stalling. Get to the reading. Here's Chapter 26... Comment, review, like, follow, whatever they're called. Talk to me, don't be a stranger. :)**_

Chapter 26

"You broke one of the biggest rules for a yellow shield, _Halil_." The Queen scoffed, caressing the threatening whip in her palms. "One of the biggest rules."

I raised my hands in defeat. "I…I was just guessing his name. He looks like a Halil!" I squawked.

The plump young woman shot me a look. "Oh hush, Anastasia. You're getting a bit out of hand. Why don't you take a break from my castle for a bit? Get your head in check. You are a special guest, but I won't tolerate your nosiness."

Halil jerked his head up and looked at me with concern, his thin brown eyebrows scrunching together. The corners of his lips hung low.

I just ratted him out and he still cares about me. Why can't I just keep my mouth shut? I sighed. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Now get out before you say something idiotic." She flicked her hand in my direction without giving me another glance.

I opened my mouth to speak, but I knew better not to. I just failed Halil. My breathing sped up for a moment as the Green Shield grabbed my friend by the shoulder and stood him up. Before I could witness anything else, I allowed myself to catapult out of the throne room and into the main corridor. The second I escaped, I collided into Will.

He must have caught my look of fear because he immediately asked: "What happened?"

My cheeks flushed. I took his hand and shifted us down to the dining hall, which was empty. Good. "I got Halil in trouble."

"Halil? What? How?" Will gaped.

"He was getting whipped for showing emotion for someone other than the Queen, and I tried to stand up for him…and…I called him by his name."

"Dang," Bunny Boy murmured, wiping the back of his wrist against his forehead. "Virtually no one knows his name besides you and me. Even the Queen didn't know."

"How does she not know her own personal guard's name?"

"According to her, it's not important enough." He rolled his pool-blue eyes and shrugged. "Nothing is. Do you know what his penalty is going to be?"

I shook my head with shame.

"Hm," he hummed thoughtfully. "He spoke off terms… She might cut off his mouth."

My eyes widened. "No way," I breathed. "No, she can't just cut if off! That's inhumane."

"This is Wonderland, not your realm, Ana. Your version of humane is kind of different when applied here, okay?"

"No, inhumane is universal!" I yelped. I lowered my voice when I noticed that he cringed a bit. "Sorry, sorry."

After what seemed to be an eternity, Will exhaled. "Alright, we need to help him." He smirked the same moment I let myself smile.

"Well, I'm kind of being kicked out of the castle for a while. Take a break, she says."

His left rabbit ear twitched, causing his blonde strands of hair to shudder in place. "Okay," he muttered. His hand rested on the pine dining table beside us, using it to support some of his body weight. "Okay, maybe we can give you a disguise."

A disguise? I remained silent because I knew that the teenager in front of me will explain everything. I've clearly learned that I can't be too quick to assume things or judge things here. Just go with it. What do I really have to lose?

"The red lady doesn't amputate things on the spot. She always does it the following afternoon. It could be to give people time to mourn and regret their wrongdoings, who knows?" He didn't seem enthusiastic at all. Why would he, anyway? The Queen is getting creepier the more I learn about her and the way she runs things around here. "I'm gonna talk to the knights around here. I'll have myself or someone retrieve you when everything is set. In the meantime, you should probably get out of here. Don't stray too far, but I don't think you should hang around the castle more than necessary."

I blinked, "You'll find me? Are you sure about this?"

"I'll definitely find you."

I had already made my way across the bridge before I realized that I left Nettle and Tarrant in the kitchen with the castle's kitchen staff… Oh geez. It's too late to turn back, though. I couldn't stick around, like Will told me. But where can I go? I don't know places that aren't too distant from the castle. Time to walk around like the dunce I am.

I strolled down the marketplace, the most familiar location in the area. I didn't really recognize the kingdom citizens around me—the shopkeepers weren't distinguishable enough. My hand flew to my tummy as I heard the oral advertisement for reds. Big reds. Small reds. I turned on my heels and ran after the voice, coming across a fruit stand. I eyed the man behind the wooden counter and tilted my head to the side.

A hairy man with sunglasses on held up an apple and a strawberry to my face. "Big red or small red for the beautiful Anastasia?" he stated with a wink.

"Hey…" I trailed off, watching the fruits in his hand. I studied the colorful rows of fresh produce lines up behind him on shelves, like a crammed crayon box… This guy was the same one who offered me the orange way back whenever. I couldn't help but grin. "Thank you, Sir." I took the strawberry and gazed down at it contently. Small gestures could really go a long way when you're in a wary mood. Plus, this little thing tasted delicious.

"Any time, ma'am." He chuckled, waving after me. "You remind me of person. Good person, no worry. A good girl. Young. Big heart."

I was trying to process what he was trying to tell me. His accent…it sounded kind of…Russian? "That's great to hear."

"Here: few more little reds for road." He bent down to grab a plastic bag from below the counter. He packed another eight berries and handed the treats to me.

Grateful, I took it. "You have a big heart too," I chirped. "She's lucky to know you." I nodded my head at him as a good-bye and paced away. As I traveled, I stuck my anticipating fingers into the package, fishing for another one to nibble on. My teeth barely sunk into it when it flung out of my hand and I ended up sitting on the ground. I blinked and looked left and right. I figured I just tripped… No, that can't be right. I felt someone tap my mid-back. I fully turned around, only to see Tannyn looking down at me. "Tannyn?" I greeted in confusion. How'd he get in? Isn't he, like, looked down upon here?

"Sorry, I really didn't mean to scare you like that." His green eyes stared into mine, and I wondered what was on his mind for that moment. Then I realized that he wasn't wearing his trademark anywhere on his body: a clock. There were no clocks on his wrist or around his neck or possibly in his pocket (well, his outfit currently didn't have pockets). He was wearing dark slacks and a gray shirt. His jet black hair still covered most of his forehead, and he looked a bit nervous. More than usual, at least. "I know I'm not supposed to be here," he whispered, offering a hand to help me up. Thank God my hand held on to the plastic bag full of strawberries. At my emotional state, I'd cry if I spilled the little reds. "But I really miss the kingdom, and sometimes I just need to visit. The citizens haven't seen me for a long time, so they won't be able to recognize me if I'm not wearing anything that supports timekeeping."

I was soon lifted from the ground and found my footing. I slipped my hand into the baggie again, retrieving my strawberry. I'm not greedy—Wonderland made me travel by foot so much that I food handed to me was just…heavenly. "Well," I exhaled. I had some time to kill before I had to go back to the castle to hear Will's plans, so I said, "Care to hang out with me for a while?"

He tugged at his collar. "Hang out?" he repeated.

"Be with me?" I clarified. Ah… I could've phrased that less suggestively, huh?

He blushed slightly. "Ah, sure, Ana."

Content with his answer, I took a bite of my treat.

My bag of fruit swung forward and back in response to my arms. We managed to stroll through the familiar marketplace and down the alleyways leading to the countryside of Heart Kingdom. I had never been that deep into the kingdom, so I was pretty excited. Before, all I had seen were the village homes, cottages, and many, many stores and businesses. But on this countryside, you didn't see much of that. The homes didn't look like actual houses; they just looked like barns. I slowed down as we stepped onto a dirt path. To the left of me were fields of corn crop and other vegetables. Some of them shook in the distance—it must have been some livestock creeping about. On my right was a field of grass with a bunch of overgrown baby chickens running aimlessly. Actually, they were running in circles. A few of them were just sitting in the foot-high grass. I raised an eyebrow and pointed at the display.

"Why are they running like that?" I asked.

The moment I stuck my finger in their direction was the moment all ten of the chicks whipped their white, fluffy heads in my direction. Hold on a second… These weren't chicks. Chicks weren't the size of a hen. Yet these chickens resembled larger versions of a chick—a ball of furry feathers with thin legs. They were white instead of the usual yellow that chicks tended to be. I smiled in amazement. Wonderland's creatures were so different from earth's. It was awesome.

Tannyn cleared his throat shyly. "They run in circles when they are ready to lay eggs." He tilted his head to the side at the cotton balls. "They're, um, cute, aren't they?"

I turned my attention away from the livestock and locked my eyes to the flustered boy in front of me. I opened my mouth to comment on his awkwardness, but didn't allow myself to do so. I forgot—he doesn't talk to females much due to his current unemployment. It's like he feels like he's always doing something wrong around them. "Yeah, they're cute."

He nodded after a few seconds, and then continued to venture forward. "My friend lost his flowercow a while back," he murmured quietly. "He-"

"Is his name Stevie?" I blurted.

"Oh. Yes, actually it is." He replied a bit louder.

This world loved to smack me with coincidences. Maybe it was smaller than I thought. It's only big because I didn't belong.

"He found it." Tannyn rubbed his left arm slowly. "Would you like to visit him? We don't need to stay very long if you'd rather not."

The corners of my lips quirked up. "Hmm," I hummed, jogging ahead of him. "I'd love to visit."

I heard his footsteps gradually become louder and louder as he made his way to catch up with my sudden quickened step. We paced across the light brown patched of dried mud and scrunched up our noses at the smells of creature droppings that snuck into our nostrils. It was gross, but I didn't mind so much. I was with a friend for the time being. The fences didn't keep a uniform height, another sign that the folks living in this rural area didn't make that much money. Or, at least, they didn't spend their money on stuff like this. During that ten minute walk, only one citizen happened to cross paths with us—some elderly man riding a rusty bike that seemed the same age as him. He waved at us pleasantly, his hand lined with squiggles in no organized manner shivered as if there was an earthquake that only affected that part of his body. I obviously waved back at him. Tannyn bowed his head respectfully.

Once we passed the stranger, we suddenly made a right turn into a stoned walkway of a barn. I glanced at the navy blue mailbox beside me and continued to walk. Isn't that supposed to be red or black like the rest of the kingdom? We approached the barn unhurriedly; it was white and kind of reminded me more of a box than a barn. But the wooden exterior that was lazily painted still made me think of barns. Tannyn knocked on the front door which was hard to see in the first place. The only way I could tell there did a door exist was the fact that there was a black knob sticking out of the wall. If it weren't for that, I would've never guessed the presence of a door.

It didn't take long before I heard the weird clicky noises and the knob started to shimmy in place. The lame excuse for a door opened toward us out of nowhere, and Tannyn somehow knew to step back. Before I realize that the door opens outward, the wood thrashed into my forehead. I stumbled back in defeat. "Whoa!" I squeaked as Tannyn placed his hand on the midsection of my back. His hand immediately jerked off of me once I got situated into balance.

The person who attacked me with the door was none other than Stevie. It wasn't a surprise to see him in his mucky denims and a white-in-another-life tee. Honesty, it was a very attractive look. His light brown hair slothfully curled on his head. He scratched his elbow and blinked. "Dang. Sorry, most visitors know what to do when they hear the door." He chuckled, stepping out of the box-barn. He smiled at me, "What're you two doin' here?"

"I came into town to shop and visit. I haven't been here in a while." Tannyn stated.

I raised a hand. "Yeah," I concurred. "And we happened to bump into each other. Tanny showed me the rural area of the kingdom since I've never seen it before, and we thought we might as well drop by."

Stevie clasped his hands together in gratitude. "That's real nice of you." He backed up. "I'm actually about to milk the flowercow. You know, the one that got lost? Found that sucker! She's off schedule with the milking times, so I gotta do it now so I can put it in the shipment box and Ma can document. You two wanna help or watch?"

I nodded excitedly. "Yes!" I chirped.

Tannyn nodded as well, but he didn't actually say anything.

"I'll bring some clothes for you to wear. In the meantime, why don't you check out the barn in the back? Get acquainted with the livestock before I get the produce."

I took Tannyn's arm in a heartbeat and dashed around the box to the back where, as expected, a large red legit barn was standing proud and tall. I took a deep breath, let go of the timekeeper's victimized hand, and pushed the elephant-sized doors open. I poked my head inside and peered around cautiously. It was quite dark inside, so the streak of sunlight I was letting in had to have startled the creatures locked inside. In no time, I heard unfamiliar noises. It sounded like a crying dog. I squinted my eyes. What the heck was in there?

Tannyn gently pressed passed me and tugged at a rope that was apparently next to the door. The ceiling of the barn opened up, allowing a flood of light swarm into the rickety building. I finally got to get a good look around. The room shook as we both stepped inside. The crying dog noises came from the figure in the corner. It wasn't a dog, thank God, but it wasn't very…recognizable. I took another hop forward. "What is that?" I whispered quietly, leaning in the direction of the…thing.

It was facing the wall of the barn, being a bit shy. Its slender body was a dark shade of green. It had four legs, the back ones having hooves while the front ones didn't really have anything to call feet—it was just the leg and it stopped. Its head was the same shade as its body, but it had this long, furry main that resembled white daisy petals.

"Hey little guy," I greeted, falling into a squat.

The thing slowly turned around to face me. Her face was slightly lighter than the rest of her body, but the colors were very complimentary. Her mane reminded me of a…

"Holy crap, it's a flowercow." I gaped, reaching a hand out with no hesitation. "You definitely don't look anything like a cow," I murmured as she slowly trotted over to me. "Where does he even milk you?"

Tannyn shrugged his shoulders. "I, uh, never actually seen Stevie work. I mean, I've seen him, of course, but I was never present, um, when he had to milk her. I mean flowercows in general, really."

Ignoring Tannyn's unnecessary anxiety, I twiddled my fingers invitingly. "Come here girl. Where are the other flowercows?" Instead of resting her large head on my hands, the flowercow gently nipped the material of my oversized t-shirt I remembered I was borrowing from Shire. I guess I shouldn't damage it. "Hey, relax," I snickered, tugging my top away from her. I heard a chuckle come from my left. I glanced over in that very direction. No one else was in here yet, so it was surely Tannyn. And he actually chuckled. I half-smiled at him, trying not to seem so proud of myself. "Almost as cute as those chicken puffs outside."

"Almost," he concurred.

We were then both kneeling down beside the small livestock, giving it a wave of petting.

Out of the blue, we heard the large door of the barn creak open. Instinctively, we turned to see the visitor. Stevie swaggers in with a rusty, gray pail in one hand and a sharp, metal stick in the other. He hops over to us and smiles brightly.

"That's Pupil. She's always makin' these cryin' noises but her tail never droops. I feel like those noises are really just the way she talks." He dragged a small wooden stool over to us and sat on it. Then, his hands pulled the creature close to him. Pupil tripped a bit on her way over, but she did manage to land beside him. She bent her knees to lay down but Stevie pushed her to get her back up. "Come on, come on," he grumbled as he steadied her. "You always get flustered when it's time to milk ya."

"Maybe she's scared," I chirped.

"Nah, she's just not used to the process yet," he laughed. "The process isn't painful or anythin'. It's actually pretty fun for the girls. They always line up all excited when I ring the bell." He positioned the bucket under the flowercow's lower abdomen. He then picked up the metal stick and poked around the area. Pupil flinched during each poke, but she didn't seem pained. She made those cute whimpering noises again, and I heard a weird dripping sound come from the bucket.

I blinked. "Where does the nectar even come from?" I asked curiously. I didn't see any udders.

Stevie glanced over at me as he kept the stick leaning against the same spot on Pupil. "There's a patch of skin on the lower part of her stomach, the only part of her body that doesn't have fur. There's one little nectar giver, and ya gotta touch one certain spot in order to let it secrete."

"Okay, okay," I blurted. This was all I needed to know.

The boys both found this amusing for some reason. Tannyn cleared his throat and stood to his feet. "Is your mother home?"

Farm Boy didn't bother to look back at Tannyn. Instead, he continued his work. "Naw," he muttered. "Mom is headed to the shipping company to tell them that we got that missin' flowercow back and we'll be ready by mornin' to send things over."

The timekeeper nodded slowly. "Oh, that's good."

I scrambled to my feet and stared down at Pupil. "I never pictured flowercows to be so cute," I exhaled.

"May I ask you a question, Ana?" Tannyn asked.

Stevie perked his head up and dropped his tool. He slid the bucket out from under Pupil and grasped the handles.

"Sure," I answered.

"I don't like getting into one's business, but why were you walking around the marketplace earlier? I thought you'd be out with Shire or Absolem."

"I've met up with a lot of other friends since we've last talked," I mentioned casually. Like Tarrant, Demetrix, Nettle, the twin-cousin guys, William, Jax… I didn't want to say the names out loud though, because there was a chance that Tannyn wouldn't like a few of them. Possibly. You never know.

"Hah, I knew you'd be popular around here," Stevie said cheerfully.

I smirked at Stevie before turning my attention back to the tall guy. "I was in the castle, doing some…" I trailed off, thinking about how I should phrase this. He didn't like Tarrant, right? So I can't say I was with Tarrant and Nettle in the castle. I can't lie either. He doesn't deserve that. "Just hanging about. I was with Will for a while." Good call. I remember how Shire said they respect Will because Bunny Boy managed to be on good ends with both the people of the outskirts and the citizens within the kingdom walls.

Tannyn slowly nodded.

I cleared my throat, "Yeah, so I left to get a fresh breath of-"

"That's alright; you don't need to explain any further. I shouldn't have even asked in the first place."

It wasn't that big of a deal but I accepted his statement anyways. Stevie gestured as if he were ready to leave the barn, so I bent down and gave Pupil a good pet on her strange head before we left. Tannyn did the same, and then we all headed out.

Once we reached the front of what seemed to be some sort of shack, Tannyn raised his hand. "I think I should go. I've been walking around a bit too long for security. I'll be heading home now."

Stevie and I looked at him at the exact same time, as if on cue. We both flicked our hand in his direction.

You see, Tannyn was just too awkward and unnaturally polite around me for his own good. It was cute, but still. I put my arms around his torso and smiled. "See you later."

When I glanced up at him, his mouth was hanging open. Shocked. Ah well, he needed to loosen up around me.

"I'm not kidding, Tannyn. I want to see you later," I continued, "I was hoping you could show me how those time gears work." Absolem had told me way earlier that Tannyn would probably be willing to show me how it all functioned.

The boy smiled, just a little. Enough for me to catch, anyways. "Absolem ran that idea by me. I have nothing against it."

"Great," I chirped, suddenly pulling away and giving him some space to breathe. "I'll drop by some time."

"Yes."

And with that, the timekeeper simply left the fields and made his way down the dirt path we took moments ago to get here. The sound of metal clunking against the wooden wall of the shack woke me up and I whipped my head to see what that was all about. Stevie was slamming the milk bucket against the front of the shack like I presumed. The milk didn't spill considering that while Tannyn and I were talking, Stevie happened to put a plastic lid on the top.

He looked over at me and tilted his head to the side. "You and Tannyn?"

My mouth made an "o" shape as I pointed at myself. "Pardon?"

"Never mind," he chuckled quietly. He shoved the door open and stepped inside the little building. I waited until the lights came on before I joined him.

There were shelves of various products—some of which I could identify; others I could only guess. The shelves were pretty wide too, so it could hold a couple rows of the product it held. I watched Farm Boy jog to the very back of the shack and through a very narrow walkway. A few seconds later, he reappeared with a glass bottle full of the milk. He had the guts to toss the fragile container at me. Thankfully, I caught it. He then stuck his finger at this empty spot on the third shelf up. I tiptoed and set the bottle on it and then watched him to see if I did everything correctly. I must have because he sent me a cheesy grin and scribbled something on the clipboard hanging beside the walkway.

"Hey, Ana," he called out. "There's a letter at the bottom of the glass. Could ya read it for me?"

It took me a moment to figure out what he was trying to get me to do, but I did eventually catch on. I reached up again and grasped the neck of the bottle. I lost my balance and made this weird squeaky noise. Smooth.

"You okay? Here, I got it!" Stevie ran over to me and put his hand over mind quickly.

The touch of his fingers on mine jumped me. We sharply stared at each other in dead silence. Unexpectedly, he bit his lower lip and frowned.

"I've been thinkin'," he murmured.

"Me too," I replied cautiously. It's true. I've been thinking a lot. Wonderland had so many things to absorb and I've encountered so much within the last…three days? I don't know.

"You know about that curse?" he questioned.

It was my turn to furrow my eyebrows. Oh. The curse. "Yes," I whispered hesitantly.

His hand slid from my own, right to the back of his neck. "It's terrible. When we first met, I thought you were pretty, yeah, but that didn't mean much. You were nice too. But then you just had to go on and hug me like we've know each other for decades. I wasn't affected yet, but I saw you again and told ya about my missing flowercow. Heard you were out lookin' for her. Started thinkin' and…" he blushed and lowered his gaze to the ground. "I just…I thought I'd be an exception to this curse."

I thought so too.


	28. Chapter 27

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

_**Hooray! This one didn't take me as long to do! :) You guys have been amazingly loyal so I tried real hard to get the next chapters out faster. I know how it feels to wait so... Yeah! I hope you're satisfied with this one, kay? Take your time. Enjoy it. PLEASE review and PLEASE review. Hahah, that's right. I love reviews. I can take criticism. Tell me how you feel about this? Ana in the Land of Hearts isn't some ordinary plot. There's many subplots and conflicts. Trust me. You can see it, can't you? It's kind of like an odyssey. Thank you for reading this far. :D More to come, hopefully soon! PLEASE REVIEW.**_

_**~Nuggs and Hugs not Drugs and Thugs**_

Chapter 27

Our hands… They were tingling. I could tell his were considering he started staring at them like they were unrecognizable. Blood crawled to his cheeks as he shifted awkwardly.

"I never had an attraction to anyone," Stevie blurted, finding the flowercow nectar bottle suddenly fascinating. "S-so I don't know what to do with myself or how to handle all this."

"Trust me; I don't know how to handle _any_ of this." I tiptoed and took the glass from the shelf. I held it up to eye level and revealed the letter on the bottom of it. "G."

He tipped his head at me and ran back to the clipboard.

Poor guy. My reaction to his confession was really…casual. Was I getting so accustomed to boys liking me here that I'm not as fazed? That I'm more insensitive when I give my response? I didn't really tell him much. I didn't give him a statement about how I feel about him or foreshadow anything, for that matter. It's not my fault, though, because I truly am lost. Like I said before: I don't belong here.

When I woke up from this particular inner monologue, I found myself staring at the back of his head.

Well, he is cute.

"Any more work to do?" I croaked awkwardly.

He dropped the pencil. Luckily it was attached to the wall by a thin piece of string. "There's always work to do," he chuckled, slowly turning around to face me. His footsteps were awfully loud due to the modest flooring. "Can't let a little trouble bring ya down though, right?"

"Yeah." I perked my head up a bit. Good point. And good timing. Can't let little troubles bring me down. I cracked a smile of approval.

Stevie returned my look, except his smile wasn't as hesitant as mine. He just let it loose. I could always rely on him for a little pick-me-up. "It is a lot, though. I think you should go," he explained sheepishly. "I like havin' you around, don't get me wrong. I just need to finish up around here an' get my thinking straight."

Before I could reply, his hand rested on my shoulder and he led me out of the shack. We got to the front yard in no time.

"I'm glad you dropped by."

I nodded. "Me too."

"If we meet up at a better time, it'll go much better. Promise." His face softened as he let the words escape him and he slumped. "Yeah…" he trailed off as if he had to make a promise to himself too.

"And I promise I'll come back."

Hopefully it would be sooner than later. I didn't want to have to deal with the Queen back at the castle for so long. I just wanted to rescue Halil. It was my fault for putting him into that mess. Will said he would find me, one way or another (hahah), so I wasn't too worried about not being found. Wonderland dabbled in the art of coincidence. I was just worried that the plan won't work out and Halil won't even have a mouth to talk with. I know he doesn't speak much, but if he had no mouth, his ability to speak at all would be totally diminished. Because of me. It all goes back to me.

I know of the curse I have on the people of Wonderland but… What about the prophecy? Prophecies are usually good, right? Maybe I have an actual purpose here besides driving boys insane.

I passed the fluffy, overgrown chicks and couldn't help but gawk at them a bit more. They were just so strange. I wanted to pick one up but didn't allow it—they don't belong to me. Instead I just watched them run around aimlessly, bumping into each other. It wasn't a surprise; they couldn't really see past the tufts of yellow fur in front of their eyes. Couldn't really tell if they even had eyes.

I shook my head. Easily distracted much? I rolled my eyes at my childlikeness and jogged down the path again. I had to be somewhat in sight so that I could be found. The sooner the better. I doubted Will or whoever he sent would find me way back on the countryside.

It took a couple minutes but I finally made it back to the village areas. The usual insignificant faces of the citizens zipped by. A few of them took note of me, but other than that, most went on with their lives. They seemed like hard workers, so I didn't take that to offense. I had some time to kill now, so I wasn't sure what to do.

I spotted a water fountain beside one particularly large yet poorly built building. It didn't look like your average water fountain. Looked like a pipe on the ground with a screw on the top. I didn't realize it was a fountain until I saw two kids skip up to it and turn the screw. After that, water spouted from the pipe into the air curved over like a rainbow. They had little metal buckets in their hand and used the water to fill them up. One little girl behind the siblings, when it was her turn, lapped at the water in midair. So it was like a public water fountain and a community faucet. Is this how they got their water down here? A faucet in the ground? I shyly made my way over to the contraption and mimicked the girl from before. The water was warm. Tasted kind of earthy. It was tolerable, though. I wiped my mouth with my wrist and slid my damp arm against the huge t-shirt I wore. When I return this to Shire, I might have to wash it first.

"I like your dress," a high-pitched voice chirped from behind.

I slowly turned around and studied the little thing in front of me. Just a little boy in a maroon shirt. Looked a little familiar. Just a little. "Oh, it's not a dress. It's a shirt."

"That's strange," he chuckled. "Why is it so long on you?"

"Well it's not mine-"

"Robber? Robber!" He suddenly cried, throwing his short arms in the air and running in circles around me.

I blinked and looked down at him. "No, I'm borrowing it. A friend lent it to me."

He paused. "Who?"

Ugh, that question reminds me of Absolem. Haven't seen him in a while.

"Shire," I answered.

"You mean Mister Cat? The one who wears the funny colors?"

"Sure," I laughed lightly.

"Why did you have to borrow his shirt?"

"Because…" I trailed off. Because I was in my underwear-bathing suit and he provided me with clothing. Speaking of which, the dress Aster Sage gave me is either in the Madhatter Estate or Shire's treehouse. I remember Damion or Daniel had returned my dress from the beach, but I'm not even sure if I left the estate with it in my possession. I'm so careless. "Because my clothes weren't clean."

"How?"

"They were sandy from the beaches."

"You didn't have a bathing suit at the beach?"

"I did but I left my dress on the sand."

"That's stupid. Why would you leave your dress on the sand?"

He's really pushing it.

I exhaled and shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know! Who are you anyway? Where's your parents or friends?"

"My parents are working. Malorie is making wishes."

"Making wishes?" I could use some of those…What did I have to lose, anyways? I had time. "Where do you make wishes around here?"

The boy hopped over to the faucet and took a long slurp of the groundwater. "By the pond. Come on, I'll show you!"

And with that, he grabbed my hand. We whisked right through the town, shoving past the laborers and saying sorry for doing so. We went beyond the marketplace. Not too far from there was a greenish pond with heart-shaped lily pads floating on the top. A small girl was kneeling between a wooden sign with a hand-painted picture of a flower and a rock the size of my head. She immediately glanced up and beamed at us.

"Cody! Is that a new friend? Come here! Come here!"

The boy, whose name was apparently Cody, dragged me over to the girl. I'm assuming her name was Malorie. "She didn't know about making wishes."

Malorie stuck her hand up at me. "I'm Malorie. Cody is my best friend."

"Yeah. I'm Cody," Cody chimed in. "Malorie is my only friend."

"I'm Ana." I frowned a bit. Aw, that can't be his only friend… What with all these kids running around the kingdom I figured they all knew each other. "There's so many children around here. Probably your age. Don't you know them?"

"Just because they know us, doesn't mean they like us." Malorie slumped her shoulders. "It's what I'm wishing for right now. More friends."

"I'm about to make a wish, too. I'm gonna wish for our old friend back!"

"You lost one of your friends?" I questioned. I figured the kids couldn't go past the kingdom walls. They couldn't really get lost, could they?

"Yeah. He followed some girl and never came back."

How old was this kid? I nodded hesitantly. "I see."

"We were in the marketplace. Gonna buy him something to eat." Malorie explained. "The girl must have had food."

"Come on, let's make the wish already!" Cody whined as he urged to me to the ground. He plopped on the other side of me.

Malorie giggled and picked up a dead flower lying behind her. It already had some petals missing, and she plucked off another three crimson ones. The color was strong, so she must have taken the flower out of the dirt not too long ago. She handed both of us a petal of our own and held it in front of her. We mimicked. Then, she sighed. "Go ahead, Cody."

Cody shifted his weight. "Dear Pond Fairy. Please bring back our friend. We miss him a lot and we need him. He was the best dog ever."

"Blip!" Cody tossed his petal into the pond.

"Blip!" Malorie squeaked as she did as he did.

"Blip?" I blurted questioningly as I copied the children.

_A little girl and boy skipped past me as a mutt (this isn't being used as an offensive term, guys) was tailing me. I blinked and stared down at the puppy. Maybe that was the figure Stevie was staring at behind me? Ah, it wanted my orange. I could tell by the way it was sitting on its hind legs and reaching its paw out every couple seconds, whimpering._

No wonder Malorie and Cody seemed familiar. They were those irrelevant kids that frolicked past me right before I met Rusty! Small world. But now my brain was going on a guilt trip. I had no idea where Rusty could possibly be. When was the last time I saw him? Was it the cemetery grounds? No… Gah, I can't remember. Too many things happen. I'm so careless. The kids don't recognize me because I was wearing a dress at the time. Now I look raggedy.

"It's neat, isn't it?" Malorie suddenly cheered.

I folded my hands on my lap patiently. "Ah, yep. Real cool."

Cody smiled at me. "Thanks. The more people wishing for the same thing means the better of a chance we'll get to it!"

These kids could be deep. I cleared my throat and quickly stood up. "You two are smart kids. I don't know why you don't have much friends."

"Because they think we're weird." Malorie croaked.

"Maybe we're funny looking?" Cody suggested.

I shook my head in amusement. "No way. You guys are adorable. I'll be your friend, if that helps."

They sat there in silence, staring up at me.

"But you're old…" Cody whined.

"I'm only sixteen."

"You're already an adult!"

Malorie scrambled to her feet and poked my arm. "Adults are smart like kids. We can be friends. Don't be stupid, Cody."

"Fine." Cody turned around quickly and then looked back at us. "We need to run, Malorie! I didn't fill my bucket for Ma!"

"Right! We need to go!" Malorie began to lead her friend away from the pond. Before they exited from my sight, they sent me a wave.

I flicked my hand back and then took a moment to look down at the pond.

Those petals were gone.

Since when do _petals_ sink?

Maybe this silly pond thing was actually…real. I scrambled around for the dead flower Malorie had been holding only minutes before. There were plenty of petals left, so I took one for myself and faced the water.

"Alright," I exhaled, staring down. "Dear Pond Fairy…" I trailed off.

This is so stupid. Why do I even bother? I'm crazy. I'm listening to two little kids. I rolled my eyes and fell to my knees. Gosh, I'm really losing my mind here. My shoulders slumped.

"You can't just stop your wish. You already woke up the Pond Fairy," a deep voice scoffed. "So rude, Ana."

"Then why don't you make the wish with me? There's more petals where this came from, Shire." I grinned before turning my head to look at him.

Cat Boy smirked and strolled over beside me. "Sure. Maybe I can convince her to not get you back for waking her up." He snatched a petal and lowered himself beside me.

He didn't even hesitate to fill the gap between our thighs.

"You going to make your wish or are you waiting for her to fall asleep again so you could make more noise?"

"Alright, alright!" I jabbed him on the knee and bit my lip. As if on cue, we both managed to hold our petals in front of ourselves at the exact same time. I knew that if I commented on our unity, Shire would make gag noises, so I pushed the thought away and started over. "Dear Pond Fairy, it's me, Anastasia. I'm kind of new around here and I know I don't really belong but it looks like I won't be leaving anytime soon so…I'm asking that you could help me to not cause any more harm in this new world. I want to fix the mistakes I've made and fast."

"Blip." Shire murmured as he dropped his petal.

"Blip…" I parroted under my breath as my petal slipped off my fingertips and onto the surface of the water.

We glanced at each other. Shire immediately stood to his feet at the realization of eye contact. He looked at me again and offered his hand to help me up. I gratefully took it.

"Thanks," I breathed as I leaned on the wooden sign.

"It takes no effort to help you up."

"No, I mean thanks for wishing with me."

"I knew you had good intentions under all that blonde."

"It's just that, the more people to share the same wish-"

"The more of a chance that wish will come true." Shire whispered. He raised his thin eyebrows and frowned.

Instantly, both of our eyes gazed at the pond again out of curiosity.

Our petals were gone.


	29. Chapter 28

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**_Hey...I worked really hard on this. I finished it all in one night, so PLEASE review and tell me what you think. It's getting good, huh? Hahahha, thanks for being loyal. Love you guys. I'm sleepy..._**

**_~Nuggs~_**

Chapter 28

I was relieved to be with Shire again… I mean, he's annoying and his sarcasm and tone in voice makes me feel like I'm inferior to him but…for some reason, I always have this gut feeling that he cares. Think about when we first met, for instance. He was posed on his tree. The weirdo. He had kissed me on the cheek and I got all flustered. I can't remember what I said after that, probably something along the lines of_ why the heck did you do that for?_ But I do remember him giving me a huge clue about my impact on the characters of Wonderland. At random points in this journey, I get homesick. Right now, though, I wasn't homesick. I wasn't even thinking about home. I was thinking about how I met Shire in the first place. This didn't last for long, unfortunately, because the thought of Halil being executed by the morning started to haunt me again.

Especially because this is all my fault.

Shire must have noticed my changes in expression because he poked my hand and said, "What are you worrying about now?"

Is it that obvious that I fret about everything? I glanced over at him and took a deep breath. "Nothing," I lied. Before he could even press me about the details, I groaned. "Everything. You remember the knight-"

"The heart soldier that you let rub up against you because you were cold? Nope, doesn't ring a bell," he scoffed.

What a bum. "Alright, alright. Well he's a yellow shield. And he's been chatting with me a bit. Like, we talk sometimes. He doesn't even say that much, really. He says as few words as possible but manages to, like, get his point across."

"Sounds dreamy." A hand on his hip.

I didn't bother getting annoyed by his stupid comments. I explained the whole thing to him. I told him how Halil and I became friends. I told him about the time I first got into the castle and had a guest room. I told him how I was with Rusty, the dog I had apparently stolen from those two kids, and how Halil met up with me and accompanied me back to the castle. I told him everything except the kiss. That detail I'll keep to myself. Not important. I went through all the details up to where we are now. Even how I ended up with Tannyn, then Stevie, and then back here.

"So you got the guy in deep trouble, huh?" Shire pondered.

"Yes. Yes, that was the whole point!" I gaped. After all that, he still had to put that out there? I feel bad enough.

"You're so careless. Letting random, strange knights hug you, and then you get the _same_ guy into trouble. Now he's gonna die unless we do something about it."

We? Did he say we? "You're going to help me?" I asked.

"Right now, you're just as dishonored to the Queen as I am. If Will can get you in the castle, then he can get me in, right?"

He said that as if I should know this. I don't know his backstory with the Queen. I don't know anything. By then, I was already slumped over the wooden sign.

"Come on, Ana. Nothing is going to happen to the yellow shield, alright?" He said, his voice a bit softer. His hand slid to my back and he tapped it lightly. "Come on, straighten up. You're not a hunchback."

I shivered but did as I told. For some reason, his hand felt nice. Even though he sounds like a jerk, the little things he does… it really affects me. "Okay."

He stepped closer to me, looking intently into my eyes with his yellow ones. Those same eyes that shocked me at first, but now looked totally normal and even attractive on him. The thick black slit-like pupil studied my face, not straying away to look anywhere else. Just my face. That only lasted a few seconds, though, because he looked further down my chin and grinned. That huge wide grin that made me stiff. "This is not the condition this shirt was in when I gave it to you," he chuckled.

My head tilted down immediately. I suddenly found a huge interest in the color of the shirt, which was purplish, but that was really just to hide my blush. When I blushed, I blushed hard. It was inevitable for it to not be seen. "Oh," I croaked. "Sorry… I was with Stevie and his farm and…"

His hand was still on my back, but it dropped a bit lower. Not to the danger zone, but over to my mid-back. His eyes went right back to my face as I stuttered out my failure of an explanation. He nodded slowly. "You think I really give a crap about my shirt?" He paused, waiting for me to reply somehow but I didn't. I couldn't. He smirked and ran his free hand through his dark, dark purple hair. So dark it could be mistaken as black depending on the lighting. "The only thing I care about right now is getting yo-"

"Ah! Ana!" a voice cried from beyond.

No, no. Not now, Will! Let Shire finish what he was going to say!

"Ana! Ah, thank the Queen you didn't go too far like I thought you would," Bunny Boy laughed as he emerged from the bushes. He jogged over to where we were, and I felt Shire's hand remove itself from my back completely. "Shire? What're you doing here?"

"Definitely not to be investigated," Shire muttered as he rolled his eyes.

"Oh, well she and I have to go. Ana," Will turned to me and smiled. "I think we can pull this off."

I looked between the two boys frantically. "Wait," I blurted. "Shire is going to help us."

"Uh, really?" Will looked over at Cat Boy for clarification.

Shire shrugged.

Gee, thanks Shire. I'm trying to _not_ sound crazy here. "I told him everything, and he said he'll help. So let's take him with us."

"Sure. The plan might need some work but I don't really see what's wrong with…um…"

I was smiling so hard I think I made Will drop what he was saying.

Shire turned his head to look back at me and his lips curled back into a smirk again. "I guess I'll come for the trip, then."

...

We were approaching the castle a bit too quickly for comfort. I think both Shire and I were getting a bit nervous, actually, because I felt my heart beating a little faster and Shire took the words right out of my mouth: "I doubt they're going to let us in, you know."

Will chuckled and kept walking. We were expecting him to keep moving towards the front entrance, so when he suddenly made a sharp right turn, we had to catch ourselves. He continued to lead confidently while Shire and I exchanged comical facial expressions.

"We're meeting someone." Will informed us as he marched onward.

Shire brushed past me to keep up with the eager bunny, but he did take a moment to glimpse back at me and smirk. That stupid smirk…

Walking past the heart-shaped bushes was kind of nice. They were pretty to look at, even though I was still disturbed by the fact that it was all fake and plastic. They'll never grow; they'll never reproduce; they'll never die. I frowned, yet I was relieved that I was letting nature distract me for a little time. I had a lot on my plate.

Soon we found ourselves weaving carefully towards the gardens of the castle. The entrance was actually right behind the castle, but considering the castle had a wall surrounding the front half and an iron fence bordering the back, the only way into the garden was to go through the back gate. We stood there in awkward silence.

"There's no one out here," Will commented as he looked between the bars. "Everyone must be inside, I guess."

"What now?" I questioned in defeat.

"I arranged for someone to let-"

_Ching-click!_

I jumped and we all faced the gate door. It creaked open just a bit, and the gate spit out a six-foot-three soldier. His armor was completely, completely brick red. A red shield. Must be the best of the best.

Dang.

He shut the gate and nodded his head at the three of us. He pointed at a group of bushes resembling the size of adult tigers.

We took the hint and dove into the section he motioned toward. I heard him follow after us, feeling my heart beat fast again. I was just going with this, really. Will crawled through a little space in the rose bushes. Then Shire went. Then me. Then the soldier. These were clearly fake rose bushes too, because I didn't feel a single thorn prick my back. The least you could do is have the fake thorns to give you the illusion that the bush was real. The again, no one within the kingdom walls actually cared besides William.

We sat in a circle, patiently waiting for the soldier to get himself settled. He sat across from me, while Shire sat on my left, and Will sat on my right. I'm not sure how it worked out that way, but it did. The way we were positioned in the garden, no one from the outside could see us, and we couldn't actually see anything on the outside unless we intentionally peeked out. As long as we didn't stand up, no one will spot us.

"So you got everything?" William whispered, breaking the silence.

Red Shield nodded slowly. He held up his index finger to pause us from going any further. He lifted his heavy helmet from his head and out popped an attractive head. His hair was a charcoal black with soft, loose curls that were slightly patted and flattened due to the effects of having a helmet on your head for so long. His skin was the color of coffee after a generous amount of cream was added to the mix. His eyes were red, as a Heart knight should be, and they looked directly at me. "Hello," he greeted politely, placing his helmet on his lap and smiling at me.

I blinked. "Hello."

He chuckled and wiped his forehead. "I'm sorry, am I sweating?" he asked, his tone light and amused. "The helmet she makes us wear. All of us end up with shining forehead. You'll get used to it, though." He assured us.

Wait…why is he assuring us?

William must have noticed my confused look considering he placed his hand on my knee and tilted his head toward Red Shield. "This guy is the Knave of Hearts, Ana. He's one of the highest ranking knights in the entire kingdom."

The Knave of Hearts shrugged his shoulders. "If you say so."

"The Queen trusts him with everything, really. Which is why he's going to be our way in."

"My name is Auspicio Fremont. A mouthful, really." He half-smiled and looked down at his helmet cautiously. "Call me whatever you like," he suggested.

I let myself smile at him. He's just like me when it came to our names. "My name is Anastasia Liddell." I challenged.

He chuckled and widened his eyes a bit, urging for me to go on.

"Too much to say in one breath, really," I teased. "Call me Ana."

"Honestly, I can't think of any nickname for a name like Auspicio," Shire stated.

What a lump.

"How about…Aussie?" Will cackled.

I pfft-ed. "Aussie? Like the people they call from Australia?"

There was dead silence.

Crap, Wonderland doesn't have an Australia. Bummer.

"Uh, never mind," I murmured. "I kind of like the name Auspicio, though," I admitted. It had a really nice ring to it.

"As I said, call me what you like." Auspicio pushed his helmet to the side and looked between the three of us. "Uh, William… I thought I was only sneaking in one person."

"Oh, right!" Bunny Boy snapped his head forward. "This is Shire. He wanted to help if there were any slots left."

Auspicio studied Shire and tilted his head to the side curiously. "I'm not sure if we can get him in along with Ana. I only brought one set of armor," he said sheepishly. He leaned over and pulled out a pile of light armor from the underside of one of the bushes.

Shire shrugged. "No problem."

I felt my face drop a bit, but I couldn't complain. At least I could access the castle soon and put the plan into action…whatever the plan was.

Red Shield gently pushed the uniform over to me. "This is squire armor. It's light and cool, so you won't have trouble moving around." He picked up a little white case. "Being a squire means you're a knight-in-train. You have no rank, so you don't belong to a shield category."

Will clasped his hands together. "Right, so as a squire, you'll be under the wing of a higher-ranking soldier. It's usually an orange shield that handles the squires, but since Aussie is the knave and can do whatever, he's going to pretend that you're his apprentice."

So I get to spend a lot of time with this guy? Uh…doesn't sound too bad, actually.

I held up the light-weight armor to my chest and stared down at it. It was easy to support, and it was a very, very light shade of black. My fingers swept the inside of the top piece—it was actually kind of soft. Squires get some cushioning? That's thoughtful. I squeaked as something suddenly plopped against the clothes. It was the little case Auspicio was holding not too long ago. I looked at him in shock and he looked embarrassed.

"Sorry," he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. "I meant to toss it, but I tend to underestimate my strength sometimes."

"It's okay," I laughed, putting the case into my palm. "What's this?" I asked as I opened it.

"Those are your eye covers. It's mandatory that the knights have red eyes."

Seriously? I thought they were just born with it… So the red eyes… They're just contacts? Or eye _covers_, as they say it here.

"Colored eyes like red or yellow or other is only natural for someone who is a hybrid, like me." Shire explained, catching on to my perpetual confusion. "Or someone who has hybrid ancestry," he added.

"Blue, green, and brown are normal, citizen eyes." Will added. "Even though I happen to be a hybrid, my eye color is blue. Could have been red, though."

Auspicio scooted forward, closer to me so he could probably explain more. "Just put them in your eyes. It only stings for a second. Once they're in, you won't feel a thing."

I never put in contacts before in my life. I opened my eyes wide and put the red contact over the tip of my finger. Before I could drop it onto my eye, it slipped and fell right back into the case again.

"After we put these in, you're going to need to change before I can take you inside."

"That's my cue!" Will laughed as he crawled away and out of the bushes.

I looked over at Shire expectantly.

He sat there, arms crossed and a smug look on his face. He blinked slowly at me. "What?"

"Didn't you hear him? Time to change."

"I've seen you in that little swimsuit. I don't have to leave."

"For security sake, please leave." I groaned.

He held his hands up defensively and slipped away.

I slumped my shoulders and sighed. "Okay, could you put these in for me?"

In a matter of a few seconds, I experiences something that felt like two drops of water seep onto my eyelids. It burned a little. I cringed and made a weird grunt noise. Auspicio jerked towards me but paused himself mid-thrust when I opened my eyes and looked at him.

"Wow," he exhaled, squinting a bit. He raised the case to eye level and I found myself looking into a little mirror installed at the top. "You look nice with red eyes."

Our eyes were matching. A piercing red. And he was right. I looked kind of cool. I realized I was smiling at my reflection. "This is awesome."

He quickly occupied himself with fiddling around with my new clothes when I happened to look at him again. "I'll help you fasten these on."

It took a good ten minutes for me to put my new outfit on. The young man didn't react much to me stripping down to my underwear in front of him. Then again, he's the knave of hearts, soThe armor was pretty comfortable. Weighed more than your average school girl outfit, but I'll get accustomed to it quickly. The red shield helped me tighten the bottom piece because it was a little bit on the big side. The top piece fit me nicely—although it was a little bit on the big side as well.

Auspicio gave me a quick once-over and nodded. "You look like a squire to me," he sighed with some pride in there. "Except your hair…" he trailed off.

"Yeah, my hair really…characterizes me, doesn't it?" I laughed. "So what should we do about it?"

"I knew you would have a lot more hair than the other knights, so…" he trailed off and handed me a hair net and a wig. It was a dark shade of brown. Short and choppy.

I held back another giggle as I tied my hair into the net and fixated the wig tightly onto my head. I patted the hair and looked into the mirror again.

"I'm a brunette!" I squealed in excitement. It's not like I dreamt about it. It was just kind of exciting to have this change. This disguise. I looked so different, but I still felt like myself. My face didn't change. Just my eyes. And my hair. That's all. Oh, well my breasts are being pressed down by the top piece of the light armor. In conclusion, I looked like a wimpy teenage boy.

He must be a mindreader because the red shield shook his head with a silly grin. "Definitely squire material."

We both laughed at my lack of masculinity. After stuffing my old clothes, the eye covers case and mirror, and shoebox into a sack, we crawled out from the bush circle and spotted Will and Shire leaning against the fence.

I jogged over to them and saluted. "The name is Austin!" I chirped.

Shire sneered. "Austin?" he parroted like it was a disease or poison to his tongue.

Jerk.

"Let's think of a more Wonderland name," Will suggested timidly.

"Ace." Auspicio nodded. "Ace is a normal name."

"Yeah. That's perfect." Will agreed.

Shire held his fist to his mouth as he made it obvious he was trying to hide his upcoming laughter.

"Well we should get started. The more time we have in the castle, the more time we'll have to get this plan into action." Will began to walk through the garden, heading to the entrance for the back of the castle.

Auspicio smiled at me. "He's right. We should go." The red shield followed after Will in a matter of seconds.

I faced Shire and cleared my throat. "I guess you should be heading back now, huh?" I whispered. "Don't want you to get caught or anything."

"It's me. I'm not getting caught. I'll find a way in to help you." Shire murmured with his usual smirk. He motioned over to the exit and winked at me.

"You're lookin' good, Ace."

And he left.


	30. Chapter 29

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

*****I had to post this again because when I did it the first time, I completely missed the last couple paragraphs so please reread if you haven't. This one if the correct one. Thanks :)**

*****THIRD TIME POSTING THIS. I THINK I GOT IT RIGHT. UGHHH, THIS IS THE CORRECT ONE. THANK YOU, "2CuteAnimeAngel" soooo much. I kept looking back at the chapter and I finally realized that when I typed the last part about Halil, I typed it in the wrong spot of the chapter...like the middle. GOsh, I correct myself. Thanks again. Wow, I'm dumb. Try rereading again and it should make sense now. Thanks so much.**

_**Finally! Finally I'm done! Real quick: I'd like to thank this particular user for help with the new character, Auspicio Fremont. The Kanve of Hearts, that is. I didn't thank her like I should have in the last chapter, so I'm here to send my regards. Thank you, Cherrygummybear21. That was a great idea. :) So I hope you like this chapter. PLEASE, PLEASE review and tell me what you think. Bye for now. :D**_

_**~Nuggs**_

Chapter 29

We got into the castle without catching much attention. I stuck close to Will and Auspicio considering I felt really alien at the time. Well, more alien than I usually felt in this realm. As we walked down the tiled, red and black theme halls, I heard several murmurs.

"Is that the new recruit?"

"Oh, he must be the squire!"

"Hey! It's the knight-in-training Will was talking about."

"He's kind of cute!"

I blushed. Dang, not only do I make a good squire, I make a cute one. Strange. I tugged at the collar of my top armor and shuddered.

"Awkward," Will told me beneath his breath so that the gossiping maids wouldn't hear. Bunny Boy dismissed himself from our group because one of the maids mentioned that the Queen wanted to see him in the throne room briefly.

I nodded and dropped my hands to my sides patiently. Just go with it, Ana. I mean, Ace. No one was going to suspect anything, I'm sure. I leveled my shoulders so they'd appear broader and manlier than they really were. I caught Auspicio's glimpse back at me, but he immediately looked forward again.

Suddenly the knave stopped right in front of me, and I bumped right into his back. I fixed my unnaturally brown hair quickly, not sure whether or not slamming into something would put the wig out of place. I peeked out from behind the tall boy and spotted a familiar looking maid staring up at him.

"Clare?" I squeaked. I'd know that light brown pixie-cut hair and size-five charcoal slippers from anywhere. Disheveled hair. As well as that flustered look.

Although squeaking doesn't help with my boy disguise.

Clare leaned to the left slightly and scrunched her thin eyebrows together. Her red eyes studied my face thoroughly. I don't think she heard exactly what I had said, but she did hear my voice.

Auspicio cleared his throat and stepped out of the way. "Oh," he blurted. "Clare, this is the new recruit. He'll be training with me." He smiled and gestured his hand in my direction.

I blinked and gave her a casual nod. "Ace."

Clare gave me a once-over in return. Seriously, she looked at me from the top of my head to the tip of my black shoes. "Nice to, um, meet you. Ace." She rubbed her left arm up and down.

I didn't want to say much. I haven't really mastered the male voice yet.

The knave clasped his hands together quickly, ripping the attention from me back to him. Thank the Queen. "Red Shields usually don't choose to have squires but I think this one has real potential."

"R-really?" Clare asked in shock as she looked back at me again. "I-I mean, that's great."

Auspicio, most likely detecting the fakeness in her comment, chuckled and patted her head. The stray hairs that were spiking outward were now flattened down correctly. This was the first time I've seen Clare's hair look completely neat. It was always a bit rough do to all the work she did. "Ace has to meet the other knights and he needs to know which barrack he'll be sleeping in from now on." He gently slapped me on the black and motioned for us to keep walking. "Don't work yourself too hard, Clarisse."

The petite maid shut her eyes and nodded frantically. "Y-you know I will," she whined.

Aww, Clare. I wish I could tell you what we're up to… Nah, I can't complain. I planned on telling her in private.

Anyways, Auspicio pretended to give me a tour of the castle. We were really just walking around aimlessly, but anytime someone was in hearing-distance, he would start handing out random facts about the area we were in and I'd go with it and pretend to be deeply interested and amazed. We made a pretty good team. And this was kind of fun. Exciting.

Once we covered the first floor, excluding the throne room where Will and the Queen were, we went on to the second. I was prepared to visit the barracks soon, but Auspicio explained that the second floor was more for guests. There were a bunch of guest rooms, and we even passed the one that belonged to me. There were foyers and bathrooms, and one large sitting room in the center of the second floor. There were a couple paintings of the Queen. She wasn't so big in them, either. Remember, the Queen is a really beautiful woman, despite all the makeup and the fact that she was the size of a pregnant elephant. I recalled when I first visited the castle and met the Queen with Will in the throne room. I spotted this painting of the Queen. I learned that she is now eighteen, but when the painting was created, she was seventeen. Somewhere between those ages, she let herself go. And there must have been a reason, too.

We climbed up the stairs to the third floor. There was another sitting room, except this one was so much larger and more elegant. There were even more paintings of the Queen. Actually, they were everywhere.

Auspicio pointed to the left hall, then the right hall. "This entire floor is for the Queen. Her room is half the size of this floor, on the left side. The right side has all of her other personal rooms. Make-up room, Birdie room, pool room. Things like that."

"Birdie room?" I parroted. "What's that?"

"Birdie is a game the Queen is obsessed with. You hit this little white ball on the ground into a hole. The stick that you use to hit it with is called a birdie."

So golf?

We made our way up the steps leading to the fourth and final floor of the castle. I struggled but pushed myself to keep going. After all, Auspicio had told others that I have a lot of potential…so I had to prove it. Big shoes to fill, I know, but I had to try my best if it meant I could help Halil.

"The last floor is for us. All the workers that are required to live here." Auspicio sighed as he turned around to face me. "The knights, the squires, the maids, the butlers, the chefs, the tailors. The workers that come from other locations stay on the second floor because they're considered guests."

"Like Aster Sage?" I wondered. Must be. He lived in that flowery dome that Absolem shoved me in when we first met.

"Right." Auspicio replied with a grin, clearly thankful that I catch on quick. "The rooms on the left are mostly knights, squires, and butlers. The maids, chefs, and tailors are more on the right. At the very end of each hall are huge changing rooms where everyone on that side gets dressed into and out of uniform."

"Why don't they change in their rooms?"

"Space."

So with that, the two of us headed to the left. I glanced at the doors that we passed, reading the labels on each one. It had a letter, and then a number. Behind the label was also a color. The one that we stopped in front of was K-1 on a solid red label.

"K means knight. The number one shows the rank. The red just shows that this room is for Red Shields."

"So there are ranks within the shields?"

"Yeah. This is Heart Kingdom for you, Ace. Always being ranked…" he trailed off and put his hand on the doorknob. His voice swiftly lowered and he smiled calmly. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," I murmured, returning the smile.

He grasped my shoulder with his free hand for a moment. Then he let go and pushed the door open.

The room was a modest size—not too big, not uncomfortably small. He was right when he foreshadowed the lack of space. Lining up against the walls were wooden bunk beds. There was one window at the far end of the room, and the view was of the bushy part of a tall tree. Seriously, you couldn't see anything but the leaves of a tree. Assuming the position we were in, my guess was that if that tree wasn't there, there would be a gorgeous view of the artificial garden. There were no closets in the room, but beneath each top and bottom bunk was a shelf for personal items. The sheets were thick and black, which sounds hot but really isn't since the room was very, very chilly. I shuddered when I entered, by the way. So, six bunk beds total, two against each wall. There was a plant in each corner of the room, small and green with a red flower in there.

"Your squire is kinda pretty, Auspicio!" a male voice cackled.

Oh right, there were guys in this room. Seven out of the twelve that sleep in here were present. They were all either leaning against the frame of a bunk or sitting on it. The one that made the comment happened to be standing near the door, leaning on what seems to be his own bunk. He was in a white t-shirt and gray sweatpants. He had dark red hair, the darkest I've ever seen a shade of red, actually. That's when I remembered that everyone in here must be Red Shields, right? So they're one of the highest ranking soldiers. I was honored.

I didn't feel my cheeks warm up, so that was a clear sign that I wasn't blushing. Good. That would be a giveaway. I flicked my hand at him politely, hoping that would show some boyish charm as well.

Auspicio light heartedly rolled his eyes and walked further into the room so that I could step inside rather than be a boring, shy lump. "Von, this is Ace. Ace, this is Von."

The red head, who must be the one who goes by the name of Von, straightened and stretched his hand out. "Think you can 'andle it, Ace?"

Hmm. Can't pronounce the 'h' sound? Cool. I quickly grabbed it and gave it a firm shake. "Think so," I made an attempt to chuckle. Meaning I had to giggle but put more throat into it. Weird, but I think it was pretty impressive.

"There we go!" one of the knights cackled from their beds.

"'e's got nerve, I can tell you that," Von snickered. He flipped his short, stalky hair back and pulled out his helmet from the shelf under the top bunk. He slid his fingers along the metal quietly. "Take the tour?"

I nodded swiftly.

"Where you from?"

I glanced at Auspicio for some help. I had no clue what places the other knights came from.

"Yeah, where's he from?"

I turned to the right, only to see a blonde with nothing but maroon boxers on, lying across a bottom bunk. I held my breath. Aw, nuts. I'll be bunking with guys. Would it be weird if I don't strip down to my underwear to sleep? When they see me shirtless…it'll be quite hard for them to believe I'm a boy.

The knave shifted his weight from one leg to the other as he took a second to think up something wise. "He's from the outskirts. Used to work for the shipping company. Always had a dream of becoming a knight for the Queen. So he signed up in Heart Kingdom's Center and I decided to interview him."

"You used to work for the shipping company when you were a kid, right? That must be why you wanted to meet Ace personally," Von pointed out in a matter-of-fact voice. He winked at Auspicio because who knows why.

"Right," Auspicio smiled at him and then looked back at the half-naked knight lying on his bed. "Did you just start your break?"

"Yep. I've got an hour."

Von juggled his helmet between his large hands. His red eyes gazed over at the knave. "My break is ending in a couple minutes. Want me to show Ace around? Anywhere you guys missed?"

Auspicio chuckled and shook his head. "Nope. Go get changed."

Von rolled his eyes and headed for the door. "Lucky for you two, dinner starts right after my break shift is over," he smirked and looked back at us one final time. "Guess we can get to know each other, squire."

Once he left, Auspicio let out a deep breath. My eyes trailed over to him hesitantly. I don't think he did this kind of thing. Deceiving his friends and his own Queen just so some silly blonde girl can save a knight from getting executed the following morning. Okay, I don't think anyone would do that for me. He was risking a lot. He was risking his rank—he could be demoted. He could lose a body part. He could get killed.

The other knights were pretty quiet, except for the occasional snort or side comment amongst themselves. They lost interest, turning on their sides or chattering, probably like they were before we walked in.

"It's getting late. You're bunking with us, Ace. I've got my own bunk bed, so you can sleep on the top or bottom, whichever you like."

I nodded slightly. "I'll take the top." The boys won't notice me when I'm on the top bunk sleeping. They can't see that much of me if I'm up there. They shouldn't notice my sleeping clothes…I'm not going to sleep in boxers.

"Good idea," Auspicio whispered. He led me to the far wall, the one including that window with the bad view. He gestured to the bed on the left and then turned to me. "This is it, then."

"Sounds cool," I murmured.

He half-smiled at me curiously. "Come on, squire. I should show you the way things work around here before we go eat."

And with that, we casually left the room and closed the door behind us. I waited until we reached the end of the hallway before I said: "That wasn't so hard."

He smiled in agreement. "Great. Unfortunately it's only going to get harder," he said softly.

Yeah…I kind of figured that.

"Come on, time to officially meet Von."

What?

He gently pushed me into the locker room where the staff changes, and then he quickly shut the door behind us. Von must have been the only one in there, because he was definitely the only person I could see at the time. The locker room was just a huge room with wooden floors and light red walls. It had a window, but it was just a view of a quieter part of the kingdom. A village area with a couple homes in the distance. Against the walls were black cubbies made of wood and two iron hooks in each one. There were four benches in the middle of the room. Von was strangely standing on top of one of the benches…

We moved towards him slowly.

"So what's 'er real name, Pio?" Von cackled as he hopped off the bench and shimmied his bottom armor up his legs.

Pee-O? That's a cute nickname.

Wait—he just said her. Was that a mistake? How could he possibly know? Was I not convincing-

"Her name is Anastasia Liddell," Auspicio replied as he waved me to come closer.

I stepped over to him and cleared my throat. "Call me Ana, please…"

Von patted his lovely six-pack. "Auspicio Fremont. Four syllables for first name, two for last." He clasped his hands together. "Anastasia Liddell. Four. Two. That's wonderful."

The boys laughed with one another while I just stood there in awe. So I was guessing that Pio and Von were real close friends. Best friends, maybe. And that Pio already warned Von about me. So Von was pretending to not know of me when we were in the barrack… So he was flirting with me the minute I walked in the room.

"No one's coming in 'ere again since lunch is going to start soon and they're all dressed or on their own break…" Von raised his dark red eyebrows. "Let me see the real Ace, then!"

I blinked and cautiously looked at my only friend in the room. "Uh," I blurted.

Auspicio shrugged. "Go ahead. We can take the covers off and the wig off. Won't take long."

In just under two minutes, Auspicio helped me remove my eye covers and my wig, and then I helped myself in untying my hair. Blonde strands fell over my shoulders and I looked at Von with a confident smile.

"The real Anastasia Liddell. Nice to meet you, Von," I greeted with a playful curtsey.

Von stalked around me like a lioness to a zebra. "You make a much prettier girl, I can tell you that." He smirked and hopped in front of me. "But 'ow are you going to sleep tonight? Everyone else in the room sleeps in their night shorts. I can't tell 'ow much you 'ave up 'ere," he commented as he slid his hand across his chest, "But whatever amount, it's going to be noticed without a shirt on."

I blushed and looked down at me metal-covered feet. "Yeah, I thought about that too."

"Well?"

I shrugged. "I've got nothing. I'm sleeping on the top bunk, so I won't be as noticed as I originally thought but…"

"But there's still a risk, so we need to figure this out."

"Right," I nodded.

We both turned to Auspicio for help. You couldn't blame us—Auspicio was a quick thinker. No wonder he was the knave around here… No wonder Von thought of him as a close friend.

"Come on, Pio. You 'ave to 'ave thought of something by now," Von whined.

Auspicio held up his hands defensively. "Of course I have," he chuckled. It wasn't in a superior tone. It was more of a cool, spirited tone. "I said you worked for the shipping company, right? So let's just say you had an accident there once upon a time, and you have bandages across your torso. I can go grab some bandages from the nurse room. It's at the other end of this hallway, won't take long."

"'ow big are you?" Von questioned. It didn't sound perverted. It just sounded genuine, like he was only aiming to help. "If she's too big, the bandages won't 'elp so much."

I made a timid "C" shape with my hand.

"Not bad," Von purred.

Oh, cool. So Wonderland has the same basic bra size system.

"The bandages will keep 'er down for the most part, Pio. We probably need a shirt for 'er, just in case. Can't risk anything. Queen's going crazier by the hour, so if she finds out you're in 'iding, we're all going down." Von clasped his hands together.

"Good. What's the excuse for the shirt, though?" Auspicio pointed out.

"I'll just say I have a lot of shame in my injury or something," I suggested.

"Sounds like a plan. Go get the bandages. I'll 'elp 'er get 'er Ace back on," Von snickered.

And with that, Auspicio fled the scene while Von turned to me and helped me fixated the hairnet into place. Once that was on, the wig followed, and then the eye covers completed the look. I looked at the mirror, which was about seven feet tall and leaning in the corner of the room.

"You should give a twirl," Von laughed.

I grinned and slugged him on the shoulder. "Be quiet!"

"Come on, I'm starved."

We exited the locker room and spotted Auspicio making his way towards us already. He was empty-handed.

"Where's the stuff?" I croaked.

"The nurses aren't in right now. They must be in the dining hall already," Auspicio sighed.

"Let's go. We should get to the 'all on time. We'd rather not catch much attention."

The three of us casually made our way down the three flights of stairs to get to the first floor of the castle. We headed straight down the hallway till we reached the dining hall where Chef Cruz happened to be standing in front of.

Crap. He's seen me close up before. I hope he doesn't recognize-

"You," Chef Cruz squinted his eyes at me. "I've seen you before."

"Quit playing around, Cruz," Von chuckled, shaking her head at the head chef of the Queen. "You know exactly what's going on."

The tall young man smirked at me. "Surprise."

So this guy…who was a bit on the rude side when we first met in the kitchen…was in on the big plan. Auspicio and Von were friends with him, too?

Auspicio nodded at him. "We're right on time. Come on, guys," he finally said, leading us into the large dining area.

Oh right. Auspicio was practically friends with everybody. They're the only people who knows, hopefully. Besides Will, of course.

The tables were set with plates and utensils, along with a silver cup in front of each chair. There were napkins that were made of cloth rather than cheap paper. Awesome. We sat at the far end of the room, closer to the right wall with the huge gaping window on the side. We planted ourselves in our own seat, Auspicio making sure to sit right beside me. Von reached to sit on my left, but someone else plopped onto it before he could, so he sat on the other side of Auspicio instead. I nervously glanced over at the stranger—just a regular butler guy. Please don't look at me too much…

"You must be the knave's new squire. That's an honor," a deep voice rumbled, unfortunately coming from the butler guy.

I nodded, staring at my plate. "Yes. It really is," I said in a somewhat deep yet unflattering voice. This was hard.

Thankfully, the guy gave up with me and looked at his fellow workers for some conversation. I exhaled and twiddled my thumbs underneath the table. People continued to walk by, and I would nervously smile at them when they gave me eye contact.

"You're doing great, Ace," the knave assured me.

There was a long moment of silence as I continued to glower at my plate. My head whipped back to reality when I felt something elbow me. I looked at Auspicio accusingly, but he was already gazing across the room at something. He looked frightened. I quickly followed his eyes all the way to the far corner of the hall.

Halil.

The poor Yellow Shield was sitting, slumped against the corner. His head was low, so I couldn't really see his facial expression. There was a thick gray chain around his waist, keeping him tied to the corner like an animal. And- what?

He…he wasn't wearing armor.

His armor wasn't on him like I've always known it to be. He was in all black—black, raggedy pants and a cheap black t-shirt. He had black socks with, of course, a hole where the big toe is supposed to take cover. He didn't even have a helmet on. His dark hair hung lifelessly.

For a second there, he even looked…dead.

But then I realize that they wouldn't chain a guy to a wall if he were dead, right?

The only thing that was dead the only thing he had to begin with.

His hope.


End file.
